Parents Council advocates giving children small amount of drink

A spokesperson for the National Parents Council has said parents should give children small amounts of alcohol when they are at home.

The Junior Health Minister Roisin Shorthall has criticised parents who allow young people to drink at home, even if they are trying to foster a more responsible attitude to alcohol.

Minister Shorthall said giving drink to children could contribute to substance abuse in later life.

But Jackie O'Callaghan of the National Parents Council disagrees.

Ms O'Callaghan said: "If you do it at home and they can have a drink and they learn to respect the amount of alcohol they can intake then I think you are going down the right road."