Alcohol Related Crime Over The Limit

The rate of alcohol related crime has shot high above previous levels, according to figures released by the Department of Justice.

In the last two years, alcohol related crime has shot up by 35 per cent with over 4,000 minors being referred to the Garda juvenile dirversion programme for alcohol related offences in 2007 alone.

The number was over a thousand more on the previous year and has led to a great deal of concern amongst the Irish government.

The Irish Labour Party’s Seán Sherlock, who released the figures said: “Clearly there’s a dramatic rise in off-licences and in the sales of alcohol. That seems to correlate with the number of referrals to juvenile liaison officers (JLOs).”

“What we’re seeking to do is to establish whether or not there is a causal link between the two. It would be my opinion that the easier availability of alcohol in off-licences is obviously having some knock-on effect in terms of incidences.”

The minister said the Department of Education had to play its part while greater restrictions on alcohol sales were necessary.

“Self-regulation by groups like MEAS [Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society] is one way of looking at it but there is an urgency about this. Some way of curbing sales to minors has to be brought into the equation, and forcibly. Where off-licences are selling to minors, the Government must come down hard,” he said.

The Cork East TD is awaiting findings by the Alcohol Advisory Group to be reported back at the end of this month.

(DW)