PLAIN clothes gardai are to be deployed as part of a new campaign aimed at clamping down on drunkenness in licensed premises across north Cork.

Over the coming weeks undercover officers will target pubs and nightclubs across the North Cork Garda Division in a bid to reduce alcohol fuelled violence and public order offences.

The gardai will specifically be on the lookout for bar staff selling drink to customers who are already intoxicated or who show signs of having consumed excess alcohol.

A senior garda source warned that publicans serving alcohol to drunk people face severe penalties if caught.

"Under the 2003 Intoxicating Liquor Act it is an offence to sell alcohol to a drunk person. A licensee can be fined up to €1,500 for a first offence and up to €2,000 for a second or subsequent offence. The person who served the alcohol could face similar fines," said the garda.

"Under section 9 of the act a premised can be closed for up seven days for a first offence and up to 30 days for subsequent convictions. In addition, the owner of the premises will have to put up a sign explaining why they are closed."

Gardai believe that excess consumption of alcohol is one of the key reasons behind increased incidents of violence and public disorder. In the first 10-months of this year gardai recorded a total of 1,294 public incidents across the division, which incorporates the towns of Fermoy, Mallow, Glanmire, Buttevant and Charleville.

Of these 289 people were arrested for being drunk in public, an increase of 83 incidents on the same period last year.

The garda spokesman said that both undercover and uniformed gardai would take part in the clampdown.

"The vast majority of licensees adhere to the law... however it is not always possible to tell if people have drink taken. That can often only become noticeable once they have consumed alcohol inside the premises. It is then the role of the licence holder or person in charge to ensure they are not served any more alcohol," he added.

- BILL BROWNE