A publicans' body has said plans by the Minister for Justice to introduce new "café-bar" drink licences "defy logic".
The body also called for a greater Garda presence on the streets and for the introduction of a mandatory age card to curb underage binge drinking.
Seamus O'Donoghue,VFI president
Speaking at the Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI) AGM in Cork, the body's president, Seamus O'Donoghue, questioned the rationale behind Mr McDowell's plan to introduce a café-bar licence and four other new alcohol licences.
"It is most unlikely that people will eat more and drink less because a premises is called a café-bar rather than a public bar," Mr O'Donoghue said.
He said the VFI recognises the need for codification of the liquor licensing laws "but not a need to multiply them as proposed.
"The cap on liquor licence numbers was introduced in the 1902 Act, not by publicans, but by society. The Report of the Strategic Task Force on Alcohol strongly recommended not to introduce more liquor licences. The VFI is surprised that the Minister does not heed that recommendation."
There are 13,000 licences in the country, or one for every 260 adults, which was "far in excess" of the number in Britain, where there is one outlet for every 780 adults, Mr O'Donoghue said.
"The proposal to introduce more licences, making alcohol even more accessible defies logic if the aim as outlined by the Justice Department, is to curb excessive drinking. We do not understand the direction the Minister is taking on this."
The VFI president said a café-bar would be "just another bar" irrespective of what caveats may be put in place.
"There is nothing to stop a customer spending all day in the café bar without ordering food. Over the past 15 years pubs countrywide have responded to consumer demand and now serve hot food from mid morning until late evening. The demand for food with drink is already being met, but it does not appear to have dented the levels of binge drinking identified in the report."
The VFI welcomed the proposal to penalise those possessing forged Garda Age Cards but said it was disappointed a mandatory age card will not be introduced.
"Every time a young person is seen drunk, it is the publicans that are blamed, yet all indications - and international information - show that young people start their drinking habits at home," said Mr O'Donoghue.