Patrick Butler
Politicians have admitted that they find it impossible to avoid holding clinics in pubs in a new survey by the children's charity Barnardos.
While the majority of 78 politicians questioned pledged neither to officially open pubs and off-licences, nor to be photographed with alcohol, over half said they could not agree to avoid holding clinics in public houses.
The survey was part of a campaign by Barnados to highlight the need for a change in social behaviour in order to tackle what the charity describes as the "alcohol crisis" in Ireland.
The idea behind this part of the campaign was to get politicians, as leaders of their communities, to set an example.
Of the 55 TDs and 23 Senators who responded to the three-part Barnados pledge, only 18 TDs and 10 Senators agreed to it in full.
Barnardos' chief executive, Mr Owen Keenan, said many politicians indicated that they could not accept the third part of the pledge because pubs were often the only available place in their area in which they could hold clinics.
"We think this is indicative of Ireland today. The pub is at the centre of our lives.
"What does this say about the number of facilities offered to young people and others who want to go somewhere where alcohol isn't being served?" asked Mr Keenan.