Public opinion is stacked against the Intoxicating Liqour Act 2003, with people citing difficulties in policing the new legislation as the major stumbling block.
"They won't be able to enforce it. They can't enforce the laws they have at the moment, it's ridiculous. How do know when someone's drunk? Who's to decide? If someone wants to get drunk, I think they should well be able to, if they are not going driving, what harm are they going to do?" says Paul Ryan (19), a student from Sligo.
Bernie Connors (21), a student from Tipperary complained "barmen are not going to let anybody get drunk if they are going to have to pay fines like that. The fines are very steep".
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Rory Cosgrove believes
publicans are getting a raw deal |
While Rory Cosgrove (41) a bricklayer from Dublin said "I've got no time for publicans but they have been hit hard big time and I think this new law out has gone way over the top." He said: "It's an infringement on people's privacy, on what they do in general. I think it's going back to the old Draconian days. Actually it's getting like a police state now."
However, Theresa Quigley (60) from Shankill believes the new legislation will benefit everyone. "I don't think the licencees should serve anyone who is drunk. I think if you have been in the trade so long you know when someone has had enough to drink and I think that they should just be refused and told to leave."
"Young people have got so much more money at their disposal that they can afford to drink. The actually go out to get drunk. The publicans should, at their own discretion, know when to say no," she said.
David Killone (18) disagrees: "How is a barman supposed to know if you are drunk. There are different levels of drunkenness, everyone is different."
One man might be locked and he mightn't show it at the bar. It's a bit loose. Everyone's different, you can't have that law for the masses, everyone handles their drink differently.