The teenage disco has, for over forty years, been a staple in the social lives of Irish teenagers. The past 20 years has seen these events grow in both number and scale and they have become a key income generation stream for a dwindling night-club scene.

Our new report highlights the risks to children attending large scale discos on licensed premises; risks including management of large crowds of children in what are environments designed for adults, risky sexual activity, intoxication from alcohol and other drugs consumed before and after these events and lack of adequate adult supervision. While parents and front line services are very concerned about how these events are managed, Government policy has completely ignored the need to regulate these events and ensure that child protection standards are adhered to.

‘Dancing at the Disco’ makes a small number of sensible recommendations on what provisions should be considered in the proposed Intoxicating Liquor Bill (2024) to mitigate these risks. It is the third in a series of reports from Alcohol Forum Ireland and the Irish Community Action on Alcohol Network in regard to changes needed to the reform of alcohol licensing.

The Intoxicating Liquor Bill in 2004, created the conditions for teenagers to be permitted on licensed premises without a parent or guardian being present so long as alcohol was not being sold at the time. Twenty years later, the Department of Justice has an opportunity to prioritise the rights and well being of children through providing for effective regulation of and fit for purpose child safeguarding measures at these events