A teenager who was caught falling down drunk after a cider binge and arrested for being dangerously intoxicated when he refused a garda's generous lift home has been given the benefit of the probation act.
Dublin Children's Court was told that the youth (17) was found in an extremely intoxicated state in a public place in Ballinteer on March 1st last.
He had fallen on to the ground and was too drunk to get back on to his feet, the court heard.
A patrolling garda even offered him a lift home but the teenager refused, the court heard.
The teenager was then cautioned that if he did not take the lift he would end up arrested. He replied "so arrest me."
He was then taken to Ballinteer Garda station where he was charged under Section Four of the Public Order Act for being intoxicated to such an extent that he was a danger to himself and others.
The court was further told yesterday that the probation workers had furnished a very positive report on the teenager.
Judge John Coughlan applied the probation act saying that he hoped the boy had "got the message" and he further warned him to stay out of trouble in future.
Traders complain of 'mess' in Cork city
Traders and members of the business community in Cork city are up in arms at the current state of city centre streets, as council workers battle to complete two major engineering projects.
The Cork City Main Drainage Scheme aims to dramatically improve water quality in the city river ways, Lough Mahon and Cork Estuary while Patrick Street is under repair with an €14 million rejuvenation programme.
According to the city's traders, business is down because of the inner-city "mess", which comprises of pipes, barriers and dusty fumes, as 17 kilometres of new sewer pipes are being laid.
"When I step out of my office on Oliver Plunkett Street, I immediately see a big cylindrical unit in the ground, connecting to a sewer, which has been left open for some time.
"The smell is awful; local businesses are suffering, and people are complaining," one trader told Derek Davis on Radio 1's Liveline yesterday.
"People aren't coming into the city anymore because of the smells and mess. Business is suffering."
In reply Alderman Terry Shanahan said the City Council was very conscious of the concerns of the business community, but that the depth of both projects would inevitably give rise to difficulties.
"Clearly when you've undertaken this scale of work there are going to be disturbances. We aim to be out of the city by the end of 2004, in time for the arrival of the Capital of Culture title," Mr Shanahan said.
He added that the question of open sewers was not acceptable and would be immediately investigated and addressed.