There were 354 seizures of alcohol in public places last year, a drop on the previous year when more than 480 of these incidents were recorded.

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said in response to a parliamentary question that the estimated monetary value of alcohol seized in 2011 and 2012 is €60,516 and €20,463, respectively.

While there is no national legislation prohibiting drinking alcohol in public each local authority can pass bye-laws restricting the consumption of alcohol in public areas.

Under new legislation introduced in 2008, gardaí were also given tougher public order powers, including allowing officers to seize alcohol from minors and issue fixed penalties for public order offences.

Garda sources have said the majority of these seizures are from under-aged drinkers and during or to prevent public order incidents.

One garda source said teens aged 14 to 16 were a “huge problem”, drinking in the evening and causing public order incidents at night.