A new Garda initiative to crackdown on underage drinking at the Listowel Race will "protect young people," according to Deputy Michael Healy-Rae.

Gardaí are rolling out the "Challenge 23" initiative in a bid to combat underage drinking and drunk driving at this year's Listowel Races.

Bar staff working at the races have been instructed to ask anyone who appears younger than 23 for identification before they buy alcohol.

Members of the Gardaí will also be operating a stop-and-search policy at the racecourse entrance and checking buses in the area for drunk minors and anyone bringing alcohol into the event.

Speaking ahead of the event, Independent TD, Deputy Healy-Rae told Newstalk Breakfast that the initiative will help to ensure young people are safe.

"We want to make sure that no underage drinking, or what I would call unlawful activity, takes place," he said.

Law and order

Deputy Healy-Rae said the initiative is similar not entirely different to how the event has been run in the past.

"We don't want to exaggerate any problem," he said. "Wherever you are the gathering of people you will often have different instances."

"[Gardaí] will just be, what I would call, keeping ordinary law and order like they always do – they did this last year very successfully."

"They will do an excellent job this year like they did last year and every other year."

Gardaí have warned that any underage person found intoxicated, or in the possession of alcohol could face "the full rigour of the law – through referral to the Juvenile Diversion Programme or prosecution".

Deputy Healy-Rae said this is a way to ensure young people are safe and the event is not "sullied" by any accidents or incidents. 

"We want to encourage parents to tell their young people to get dressed up and go out and have a good time but be very mindful that they do so in a prudent and careful way," he said.

"You can enjoy yourself without making a mistake or without something going wrong."

Deputy Healy-Rae said accidents are still likely to happen at the event.

"Things will happen where you have numbers of people, so we just have to make sure that everybody's careful," he said.

"We are so sorry for some of the accidents that happened a couple of weeks ago, where beautiful young people lost their lives – we don't want to see any harm coming to our young people.

"There's no need to stay at home and wrap yourself up in cotton wool – of course, you can go out, but be careful about the enjoyment that you have, and about how you do that."

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