Eighteen out of 20 stores sold alcohol to the transitionyear student, just days after a Spar outlet on O'Connell Street, Dublin, had been fined 400 and ordered to close temporarily for selling beer to teenagers.

Opposition politicians and the National Parents' Council last night called for urgent government legislation to curb underage drinking.

"We are not at all impressed that somebody under 18 found that she could be served in the majority of outlets so easily, " said Jim Jackman, president of the National Parents' Council.

"We call on the Minister for Justice to introduce a clampdown on the sale of alcohol to minors. We also ask all parents to be vigilant about underage drinking."

Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe urged the justice minister to "get a grip" on the problem of teenage drinking.

"We need to have tougher enforcement. In other countries, like America, they are much stricter about underage drinking and we have to head in that direction as well."

Of the 18 outlets that served the 15-year-old girl, sixteen did not ask any questions about her age or request identification.

Staff in two stores asked her what age she was and served her after she lied about her age, saying she was 18.

"The government has a blind spot when it comes to alcohol, " said the Green Party's justice spokesman, Ciaran Cuffe.

"It took action over magic mushrooms during the week, but is not doing enough in terms of the two biggest problem drugs for young people . . .

alcohol and cigarettes. The Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner need to take immediate action to ensure that gardai do their job and stop this."

Labour's justice spokesman, Joe Costello, claimed that "two thirds of 15- to 16year-olds are regularly drinking.

"The off-licences are the culprits, as they are selling alcohol to minors at a huge rate.

"Current legislation doesn't target off-licences enough.

There needs to be a system of compulsory labelling introduced on all bottles of alcohol, so gardai can see which off-licence the product comes from. This would help gardai target rogue off-licences and curb underage drinking."