| | ALL it takes is a quick change from | | | | midday and asks for a pint of Guinness |
| | school uniform into a trendy belly top, | | | | they’d probably be challenged, but |
| | add a slash of lipstick - and a 17-year- | | | | often they do it at busy periods when |
| | old girl is turned into a young woman. | | 30 | | they’re not noticed.” |
5 | | That’s why a compulsory identity card | | | | He recognised that some people |
| | for people up to 25 years should be | | | | objected to identity cards on the basis |
| | introduced to fight the “national | | | | that it represented a Big Brother |
| | scandal” of underage drinking, a drinks | | | | society. But he said it was a case of |
| | group said yesterday. | | 35 | | deciding which was the greater evil. |
10 | | “It’s impossible to guess their ages, | | | | “It’s make-your-mind-up time,” Mr |
| | appearances can be deceptive,” | | | | Murphy said. “Politicians are always |
| | Beverage Council of Ireland chief | | | | sounding off about underage drinking |
| | Bernard Murphy said. | | | | but the best they’ve come up with is a |
| | He said the voluntary scheme | | 40 | | voluntary scheme. However the reality |
15 | | introduced a year ago was not | | | | is we have a poor track record for |
| | working, with just 7 per cent or 26,000 | | | | signing up to what is not mandatory.” |
| | of Ireland’s 350,000-plus-population | | | | At the moment, Ireland is one of the |
| | aged between 15 and 19, signing on. | | | | EU states without an identity card |
| | This left off-licence and pub staff at an | | 45 | | scheme. |
20 | | unfair advantage. “We should | | | | “If it’s right for 11 other countries within |
| | recognise there is a problem and deal | | | | Europe and they can live with it, what’s |
| | with it in an objective way,” he said. | | | | wrong with us that we can’t [id:48938] it?” |
| | “Currently we’re dealing with it in a | | | | said Mr Murphy, who represents |
| | subjective way by leaving it to bar or | | 50 | | alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink |
25 | | door staff to guess. | | | | producers. |
| | “If a 15-year-old comes into a pub at | | | | The Sunday Independent |