Political reaction: Fine Gael and the Green Party have called for the provision of alternative activities to drinking alcohol for young people in order to reduce the high level of alcohol-related public disorder.
Labour and Fine Gael also renewed calls yesterday for off-licences in Dublin to be closed until 6pm on public holidays including St Patrick's Day.
They were speaking in light of the arrest of 714 people around the State - mostly in Dublin - for public order offences on the national holiday.
Fine Gael's social and family affairs spokesman, David Stanton, yesterday accused the Government of failing to provide children and young people with the sporting and social facilities they need.
"Worryingly, in the absence of tangible social and sporting outlets for young people, I believe that some turn to alcohol abuse, with serious consequences for themselves and their families," he said.
"St Patrick's Day also exposes the problem that exists with regard to underage drinking, which is most apparent on March 17th every year. Putting in place a proper set of alternatives to our alcohol-centred culture is critical, especially for young people."
Fine Gael's Dublin spokesman, Senator Brian Hayes, said he supported lord mayor Michael Conaghan's proposal that off-licences in the city be closed until 6pm on St Patrick's Day and other public holidays.
"We can't encourage people to come into town to enjoy a parade when at the same time you have people out of their heads with drink. There has to be some curtailment of the amount of drink available to people on public holidays."
Labour's justice spokesman, Joe Costello, also supported Mr Conaghan's proposal. "The off-licences didn't heed the lord mayor's call yesterday," he said.
"Any one I came across during the day was open. I would like to see it either made mandatory, or to have a voluntary code agreed in the city."
He said he had been on the streets of the capital until 9pm on St Patrick's Day and had seen no sign of trouble.
However, he believed there should be extra gardaí on duty between 9pm and the early hours to ensure the streets are safe.
The pub industry had told an Oireachtas committee in advance of the 2003 legislation on opening hours that it was prepared to contribute to the cost of extra policing.
"There is every reason why the trade that benefits extraordinarily on such days should contribute to security," Mr Costello said.
Green Party justice spokesman Ciarán Cuffe said the festival in Dublin should provide more alternatives to drinking for young people.
He said the Céilí Mór and the funfair at Merrion Square were alternatives, but there should be more. He said it was a privilege for those running pubs and off-licences to be given licences, and yet some of them did not appear to be paying much attention to the law.
"The law is clear: bars and off-licences should not be serving people who are drunk and they should pay more attention to the law."