Groups representing the country’s youth have condemned moves to restrict the sale of alcohol to people over 21, saying that doing so ignores the broader problems caused by alcohol. Mary Cunningham, director of The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), claims that the proposal to increase the legal age limit for purchasing alcohol from 18 to 21 inherently attributes binge drinking and public order offences to young people and ignore the bigger picture. She said statistic demonstrate a “population wide problem with alcohol misuse.”