A voluntary age identity card scheme, part of a campaign to combat under-age drinking, was introduced yesterday by the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue.
He said that with the Junior Certificate results approaching, parents were rightly fearful for their children because of the spate of drinking that accompanied it. It was right, therefore, that the Government should be seen to take action against under-age drinking.
The age card is being issued to people over 18 on request, which they can then produce as proof they have reached the legal age to buy alcohol.
In Dublin Castle yesterday, Mr O'Donoghue told a meeting of gardai, representatives of parents, youth, student and sporting groups, and representatives of the drinks industry: "Licencees, now more than ever, would be well advised to seek proof of age if in any doubt about the age of customers. "We simply cannot allow the small and unscrupulous minority who aid and abet the proliferation of alcohol abuse among our young people to get away with it." He i, and representatives of parent, youth, student and sporting groups, as well as from the drinks industry, said everybody was aware that attacks and assaults in the streets, particularly late at night, had their origin in excessive alcohol consumption.
"Recent events have brought home to us the seriousness of the problem. Within the past week there was the tragic death of a teenager following a fracas outside a Dublin nightclub. A Garda inquiry has begun into the death of another youth in Dublin, which may also be violence-related."
He said the Garda Commissioner had sought expert advice on the factors involved in serious violence.
The Garda authorities had a limited pilot scheme, Operation Oiche, operating in Dublin that involved using extra gardai to tackle violence among young people at or in the vicinity of certain discos and places where young people gathered at night. This scheme would now be extended to other areas of Dublin, the Minister said.
There was also a need to enhance the Garda presence around the DART service.
Deputy Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy said that the age card scheme was a voluntary and co-operative venture. The question they must ask was should they criminalise young people for minor breaches of the law.
"I'm of the view that we should proceed with caution and discretion on this issue and preventative measures should be the guide," he said.
The card scheme alone would not solve the problem of under-age drinking but it would help.
One of six over-18s who received age cards yesterday was Ms Aisling McCausland, from Kells, Co Meath, who said she had applied because she had just turned 18 and pubs, and nightclubs particularly, asked for proof of age.