A leading expert on addiction has accused the Taoiseach and the Government of failing to provide leadership around the national crisis of youth alcoholism and alcohol abuse.
The Director of the Rutland Centre, Stephen Rowen, said greeting foreign dignitaries with a pint of beer showed an indifference to the crisis at hand.
For 25 years the Rutland Centre has seen at first hand the effects of alcohol abuse on individuals and families.
In the first of a series of public lectures on addiction awareness, Mr Rowen called on the Government to ban alcohol advertising and end the link between alcohol and sport.
He said Ireland has a major crisis with young people and alcohol abuse and that it needs to be addressed.
Mr Rowen said parents and individuals also needed to examine their attitudes to drinking, and that everyone needs to play a part in addressing the problem.
