"I have a view that alcohol is too widely available. Maybe it's time to reconsider planning and licensing laws and look at how the sale of alcohol can be restricted, " Pat Carey told the Sunday Tribune.

"The most serious drug we need to tackle is alcohol. The next National Alcohol Strategy and National Drugs Strategy will be closely aligned. People who experiment with drugs are generally under the influence."

Petrol station and supermarket employees are generally not as vigilant and well-trained when it comes to ensuring people supply identification to prove their age when purchasing alcohol, he added. "I've seen people coming out of supermarkets at 7.30am with trollies full of alcohol. It's not just beer that can be bought, it's wine and spirits too. My view is that alcohol should not be available for sale at that hour and there should also be a restriction on the quantity that can be bought.

"I was driving home recently and I saw a girl of about 15 walking down the street in broad daylight openly drinking a can of beer.

That's not an isolated incident but it should not be tolerated by people of any age, much less people underage."

Carey added that he would also support the introduction of a watershed of 10pm for alcohol adverts on television.