The Dublin South Central TD said the service was offered by off-licences in her constituency and it was "not justifiable. . . It is a very unusual way of distributing alcohol and I would like to see such delivery services banned. It's not hard to go to an off-licence [to buy drink]" she said.

Street drinking emerged as a major concern for people in urban areas in a recent Labour survey on anti-social behaviour and Upton said the issue dominated a recent meeting she hosted in her constituency.

Several constituents raised the issue of off-licences delivering alcohol to the door after a telephone order. They expressed concern, she said, that teenagers could order alcohol and say their father or mother had ordered it and then gone out, leaving the money to pay for it.

"There aren't proper controls, " Upton said. The Labour front bench spokeswoman tabled a Dail question to justice minister Michael McDowell on the issue last week querying "the controls which apply to this activity, his plans to prevent this service, his views on the fact that underage drinkers may order alcohol through this service and if he will make a statement on the matter".

McDowell listed the law and the penalties relating to the sale and delivery of alcohol to minors and said "concerns in relation to specific premises should be brought to the attention of the gardai".