Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of licensing arrangements for outdoor concerts and suggest that the law needs to be amended in this regard. In respect of the events over the weekend, which have reached a crescendo with yesterday's cancellation of all five concerts, it is incredulous that a concert promoter and a venue could agree a deal of this magnitude, sell tickets and then express amazement when permission is refused even though they knew full well the imposition it would have on residents and the already fraught relationship that exists there. Over the weekend, Henry Mountcharles expressed surprise that the potential for such licensing difficulties did not occur to those involved. He is not unused to holding events of this magnitude and his views should be taken on board. Is it seriously to be suggested that a five-day event which attracted nearly 400,000 people did not ring warning bells in the heads of those involved in the organisations concerned, particularly given the residential setting? I urge Senators to read the statement from Dublin City Council, which seemingly advised the promoters at every stage of the process that it was concerned about the number of shows and their impact on local residents. We now have a situation in which many locals are understandably furious because of the promises they were given and ticket holders who bought their tickets in good faith are also very annoyed at what has occurred. If promoters and venues are not willing to act responsibly, the Oireachtas should do it for them. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to the House to discuss amending the legislation to ensure tickets for large-scale concerts cannot be sold in advance of acquiring the requisite licence.