RESTRICTIONS ON the opening hours of fast-food outlets and the creation of mobile accident and emergency (AE) units in the city centre are proposed in a Dublin City Council report on alcohol and public order.
The report, by the council's joint policing forum, also proposes restrictions on pubs, clubs and off-licences far tougher than those announced last month by Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan.
It proposes, for example, that the hours of business of off-licences be limited to 10am to 8pm. Mr Lenihan has said he will introduce legislation forcing off-licences to close at 10pm instead of the current time of 12.30am.
It suggests the council should be given the power to limit on planning grounds the number of off-licences in any particular area. The quantity of alcohol that under-21s can buy should be limited and a ban on the sale of spirits to under-21s considered.
Changes to the city bylaws are proposed to give gardaí and approved council officials the power to confiscate alcohol found in the possession of a person drinking in public, whether or not all the containers are open.
Young people would be obliged to produce an ID card that records their purchasing history before being able to buy alcohol in pubs and off-licences would keep CCTV records of sales for one month for inspection by gardaí.
Labour councillor and former lord mayor Michael Conaghan, who chaired the policing forum, said the link between alcohol consumption and violence and petty crime was "potent and direct".
Mr Conaghan expressed disappointment at the Minister's response and the lack of local authority involvement on the committee set up by Mr Lenihan.
The council report says the trading hours of fast-food premises should be restricted to pub/club hours to discourage loitering by crowds in the city centre.
The toilet facilities of all pubs are to be reviewed to see if they can cope with peak-time usage at weekends, to discourage urination in public.
The creation of temporary first aid units in the city centre at weekends would spare hospital AE units the "chaos" caused by drunks at these times, it says.
Other proposals include:
a ban on public advertising and display of alcohol in shop windows;
powers to restrict sales hours for pubs and off-licences on specific days, such as St Patrick's Day;
a single court sitting on weekend mornings to deal with the previous night's drunk and disorderly cases; and
the closure of the "loophole" which allows theatres to sell alcohol late.
The report also revives the "café bar" concept once promoted by former minister for justice Michael McDowell.
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