Parents who were possibly "swanning off to the golf club for a few scoops themselves" had a duty to closely monitor their children's drinking habits as part of the fight against alcohol-related public order offences, the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, has said.
"You'd need to be a very unobservant parent not to notice if your child is drinking. It's not just the community's problem, it's a parenting problem."
Parents had a duty to "act as parents and as moral examples".
He was speaking at a PDs meeting in Killarney, Co Kerry, where the party's candidates for the local elections were announced.
He said PD candidates running in the elections would emphasise the role that must be played by local representatives in influencing policing in their respective areas.
Under the new Garda Bill, which is expected to be published soon, provision will be made for a greater degree of consultation between gardaí and local representatives.
"Elected representatives will not simply be writing polite notes to the chief superintendent anymore. They will have a statutory right to a say in policing.
"For the first time, people elected to local authorities will have a legal mandate to be involved in policing of their areas."
Under the provisions, local councils will be able to question gardaí about their policing methods, and make recommendations. Gardaí will also have an input into the planning of new housing schemes, particularly with regard to the provision of CCTV systems and greater street lighting, both of which have been proven to cut crime.
Measures introduced last August as part of the Intoxicating Liquor Act made provision for councillors to table motions calling for pub and club bar exemptions to be cancelled if law and order issues arose.
However, the Minister said Kerry county councillors had failed to table any such motions.