[Oireachtas] Dáil Éireann debate. Question 426 – Alcohol sales [3989/25]. (11 Feb 2025)
External website: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2025...
426. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Justice the number of inspections carried out by gardaí on licensed premises in the on-trade, to ensure full compliance with alcohol licensing legislation and the number of prosecutions brought in relation to the licence breaches (details supplied), from 2014 to 2024, by year, by county, and in tabular form. [3989/25]
Jim O'Callaghan, Minister for Justice: As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the general management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including liquor licensing inspections. As Minister, I have no role in these matters.
The below table, provided to me by the Garda authorities, outlines the number of inspections carried out by Gardaí on licensed premises in each year since 2014, by Garda Division.
Numbers of Inspections recorded:
Region/Division |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
Dublin Region |
||||||||||
D.M.R. Eastern |
133 |
91 |
51 |
61 |
<10 |
229 |
4394 |
534 |
67 |
82 |
D.M.R. North Central |
507 |
291 |
184 |
407 |
500 |
616 |
4711 |
453 |
221 |
320 |
D.M.R. Northern |
391 |
245 |
105 |
76 |
88 |
118 |
4488 |
654 |
282 |
108 |
D.M.R. South Central |
352 |
234 |
166 |
346 |
80 |
61 |
4401 |
305 |
777 |
438 |
D.M.R. Southern |
346 |
358 |
389 |
89 |
139 |
218 |
6293 |
721 |
508 |
903 |
D.M.R. Western |
771 |
451 |
428 |
268 |
182 |
152 |
3282 |
397 |
134 |
76 |
Eastern Region (NEW) |
||||||||||
Kildare Div |
275 |
195 |
579 |
355 |
250 |
433 |
2581 |
316 |
502 |
264 |
Laois/Offaly |
314 |
265 |
317 |
340 |
367 |
409 |
2572 |
1343 |
942 |
519 |
Meath/Westmeath |
547 |
323 |
498 |
827 |
768 |
853 |
2962 |
1254 |
615 |
345 |
Waterford/Kilkenny/Carlow |
1070 |
1044 |
733 |
872 |
1064 |
946 |
5398 |
1819 |
1530 |
1320 |
Wexford/Wicklow |
1005 |
992 |
1129 |
553 |
690 |
982 |
3038 |
1047 |
850 |
770 |
North Western Region |
||||||||||
Donegal |
2897 |
3951 |
4137 |
3280 |
2813 |
3770 |
4809 |
1190 |
1066 |
436 |
Galway Div |
1430 |
1607 |
1039 |
720 |
820 |
774 |
2500 |
691 |
665 |
900 |
Louth/Cavan/Monaghan |
1916 |
1255 |
1659 |
1496 |
1127 |
852 |
3689 |
1352 |
655 |
319 |
Mayo/Roscommon/Longford |
852 |
732 |
996 |
861 |
998 |
901 |
3688 |
1685 |
628 |
477 |
Sligo/Leitrim |
511 |
1007 |
640 |
491 |
376 |
323 |
1553 |
225 |
146 |
92 |
Southern Region (NEW) |
||||||||||
Clare/Tipperary |
1708 |
2205 |
2692 |
1920 |
1660 |
1666 |
4969 |
2078 |
1986 |
1423 |
Cork City |
2360 |
3168 |
1988 |
1829 |
2132 |
1657 |
4179 |
1319 |
1334 |
1017 |
Cork County |
3419 |
2598 |
2342 |
1613 |
2329 |
2731 |
9822 |
7947 |
6513 |
4118 |
Kerry |
2432 |
2722 |
2095 |
1817 |
1500 |
1496 |
4996 |
2806 |
2366 |
2050 |
Limerick |
655 |
517 |
602 |
903 |
849 |
900 |
3270 |
866 |
979 |
630 |
The following table outlines the number of breaches recorded under each offence for the years requested:
Incident Type |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
Liquor Licensing |
915 |
759 |
555 |
521 |
396 |
374 |
235 |
193 |
163 |
127 |
128 |
Provision of Intoxicating Liquor to Under 18 Year Olds |
25 |
25 |
26 |
32 |
11 |
20 |
11 |
<10 |
<10 |
<10 |
12 |
Purchase or Consumption of Alcohol by Under 18 Year Olds |
273 |
237 |
260 |
200 |
118 |
92 |
52 |
30 |
29 |
12 |
12 |
Sale of Intoxicating Liquor to Under 18 Year Olds |
63 |
71 |
71 |
79 |
67 |
51 |
26 |
59 |
43 |
29 |
30 |
I am advised that this information is taken from a search of the PULSE database on 4 February 2025. Where the data set falls below the threshold of 10 incidents in each year, the Garda authorities are not in a position to provide this data for data protection reasons.
As the Deputy will be aware, prosecutions are a matter for the Director of Prosecutions, who is fully independent in her functions under Section 2(5) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1974 (as amended). As Minister I have no role in the operations, functions, governance or oversight of the Office of the DPP and I am unable to provide any information or statistics relating to the Director's work as a result. Additionally, management of the courts are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service. The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie
L Social psychology and related concepts > Physical context, location or place > Alcohol beverage sales outlet (shop / pub / bar)
MM-MO Crime and law > Substance related offence > Alcohol offence
MM-MO Crime and law > Substance use laws > Alcohol laws (liquor licensing)
MM-MO Crime and law > Justice and enforcement system
T Demographic characteristics > Adolescent / youth (teenager / young person)
T Demographic characteristics > Underage drinker
VA Geographic area > Europe > Ireland
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