Off-licences are "frustrated" at the lack of progress on tackling underage drinking, a seminar organised by the National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA) heard yesterday.
Jim McCabe, chairman of NOffLA, said the law was not being "strictly or consistently enforced" and practical initiatives were not being implemented.
He called for young people to be educated early about alcohol abuse, and a "zero tolerance" approach to adults who buy drink for minors.
Mr McCabe was speaking at NOffLA's seminar on responsible trading in the community.
However, Dr Joe Barry, head of the public health department at Trinity College Dublin, said the biggest problem relating to underage drinking lay with off-licences and supermarkets rather than pubs.
He called for a ban on cheap promotions run by supermarket chains. "Secondly, there must be some form of traceability mechanism so that if something happens, you can trace the alcohol back to the seller," Dr Barry said.
The National Youth Council of Ireland also called for greater regulation of the off-licence and supermarket sector.
Mary Cunningham, youth council director, said restrictions had been introduced on pubs selling cheap alcohol but there were no restrictions on off-licences and supermarkets.
Ms Cunningham said it had become more difficult for people who looked under age to buy alcohol from off-licences, but there was nothing to stop them from getting older people to buy alcohol for them. "And obviously that's very difficult for off-licences to police," she said.
Yesterday NOffLA repeated its call for the introduction of a mandatory ID card and the implementation of "hefty fines and prosecutions" for those who bought alcohol for minors.
It has set up a training and self-regulating enforcement scheme for its 330 members. "This means that premises are open to random, mystery spot checks and are obliged to adhere to a number of conditions," Mr McCabe said.
