Figures reveal huge rise in number of children admitted to hospital over their drinking
There was an 80% increase in the number of children admitted to hospital because of alcohol-intoxication last year.
There have been 78 cases over the past three years, according to details released under the Freedom of Information Act.
It reveals that 36 children under 16 had a diagnosis of alcohol-intoxication when they were discharged after inpatient or day-case stays in Irish hospitals last year - 18 boys and 18 girls.
This was a big increase on a total of 20 in 2017, while there were 22 admissions the year before.
These statistics do not include emergency department and outpatient cases, and only include longer - or more serious - admissions.
Sheila Gilheany, from Alcohol Action Ireland, said it is very concerning.
Ms Gilheany said: "We certainly know that there are high levels of young people drinking in Ireland, something like 60,000 children will start drinking every year and the result of that is you will see this type of very, very dangerous drinking that will lead to people being admitted to hospital.
"We would be very keen to see that there are public health measures introduced that would overall reduce the levels of alcohol consumption in Ireland."
The HSE says its addiction services support the provision of an integrated range of preventative, therapeutic and rehabilitation services to meet the needs of service users.
