The general consensus seems to be that the Equality Authority's ruling allowing children in pubs is ridiculous. But isn't it ridiculous that children should be barred from a place that is central to Irish life?

How many times have you seen children sitting outside a pub in a car, excluded from social activity? Refusing to allow children into pubs is a symptom of our hypocrisy about alcohol.

Children see, from an early age, that alcohol is at the centre of social life and, sometimes, home life too. By not letting them into pubs, we're merely creating a smokescreen and pretending that by keeping children out of the pub, we're keeping alcohol out of their lives. In reality, the alcohol affects all children of parents who drink irresponsibly.

Children whose parents drink too much have emotional burdens to deal with - not least is having two parents in one, the drunk one and the sober one. It seems to me that the pub would be an ideal place to educate parents about the effects of alcohol on family life.

If parents are drunk while in charge of children they should be compelled to enter an alcohol addiction programme. If children witness responsible use of alcohol they are more likely to use it responsibly themselves.

Kholmquist@irish-times.ie