Publicans in Cork and Kerry are to take part in a pilot scheme this Christmas where parents will be encouraged to bring their 18 and 19 year olds to the pub.

And speaking in Dublin this morning, Minister Ruairi Quinn said it's an idea with some merit:Yesterday, the principal of St Joseph's Secondary School in Ballybunion, Co Kerry, John O'Donovan, backed the proposals from the Vintners Federation of Ireland.

The Vintners Federation of Ireland is proposing that parents should bring their 18 and 19-year-olds to the pub and demonstrate how to drink responsibly.

John O'Donovan is principal of St. Joseph's Secondary School in Ballybunion, Co. Kerry. He believes that those who end up in A & E after drinking excessively should be fined.

And he told Radio Kerry that he believes that encouraging responsible drinking habits for teenagers over 18 is a good idea: