One third of pubs and off-licences targeted in an undercover cover sting operation were found to have sold alcohol to kids under the age of 18.
A major crackdown on the sale of alcohol to minors began back in October 2010 when the Government introduced a new scheme that allows the Gardaí to use children as undercover operatives. Someone in Garda HQ obviously watched Spy Kids once too often.
Reports from this morning’s Irish Examiner shows that in the scheme’s first year of operation, 119 pubs and off-licences were targeted and 41 of them were found to have broken the law when it comes to looking for proof of age.
These premises now face prosecution and could be fined or forced to close their doors for good.
The ‘undercover kids’ scheme (not its real title, obviously) has worked so well so far that Justice Minister Alan Shatter is reviewing the operation and apparently he is considering extending it to home delivery services operated by off-licences.
The ‘undercover kids’ scheme involves sending a person aged between 15 and 18 into a licensed premises, acting under the instruction of Gardaí. But don’t worry, it’s not as if the Guards are picking up kids off the side of the street in a big white van and forcing them to run into the offy to get a frosty six-pack. The kid’s parents are involved and it’s all above board.
No word of what happens to the booze bought by the kids though. We’re sure it’s brought back to HQ where it is ‘carefully destroyed’… along with a pizza and a bag of pretzels. Who knows?
So, if you or anyone you know owns a pub, make sure they start asking the little nippers for identification.
