Fine Gael has called for a ban on all alcohol advertising in an "action plan" to tackle excessive drinking.
As its leader, Mr Enda Kenny, said urgent moves were required to protect a generation of young people from the "devastation" wrought by alcohol abuse, the party said that the sponsorship and promotion of events by alcohol companies and pubs should also be banned.
Mr Kenny said the result of abuse was public drunkenness and "chaotic street violence" - including assault, rape and murder - in addition to illness, aggression, depression, anxiety, suicide, promiscuity and personality changes. There was fear on every street due to alcohol-linked violence, he added.
When it was pointed out that efforts to ban tobacco advertising in other states had been halted under EU regulations, Mr Kenny said the plan was not perfect, but immediate measures were required to reduce alcohol abuse.
Saying that Irish people were paying a huge price for the drinking culture, the party's 10-point action plan calls for the restoration of 11.30 p.m. closing time on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
When asked whether a majority of sensible drinkers should be restrained simply because a minority was abusing longer opening hours, the party's justice spokesman, Mr John Deasy, said: "I don't think the problem is with a minority at all".
Many of the party's proposals would upset people, but they were required to change the culture of drinking at every social occasion.
The party was calling for a mature attitude to alcohol, although it accepted that time would be required to change the mindset that made excessive drinking acceptable.
A Minister of State should be appointed to ensure that the measures were implemented and the law enforced.
Future policy options suggested by the party include a proposal to make passengers in a car driven by an individual convicted of a drink-driving offence liable for a fine. It also suggested legislation to allow for "server or publican liability" where danger from drunkenness was reasonably foreseeable. Selective tax increases were also an option.
The plan says penalties for pubs which sell drink to under-age drinkers should be increased. Mr Deasy said the party wanted to remove a publican's licence for one year if there were three convictions for serving customers who were under age.
The plan also says legislation should be passed requiring pubs and off-licences to ask for proof of age before selling alcohol. Under-18s should be banned from pubs after 8 p.m., it said.
Despite earlier calls by Mr Deasy to increase the minimum legal drinking age to 20, such a proposal was not contained in the 10-point plan. Mr Deasy said some in the party were favour of that, but some were against it and some were very unconvinced.
However, such a proposal was included in the party's document as a future policy option.
The party wants new superpubs banned and says health boards should be allowed to object to new licences on public health grounds. Closed-circuit television systems should be installed inside and outside all night-clubs.
The maximum blood-alcohol level for provisional drivers should be reduced to zero and the minimum applicable for all other drivers should also be reduced, it said. "Changing the law to allow for a situation where even one drink would put you over the limit would help to reduce the level of drinking among young people," it said.
The party said the problem should be researched in detail. It also called for school- and community-based initiatives, saying young people should be taught to make decisions for themselves and treat alcohol wisely.
