Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I give credit where credit is due and this Bill is very welcome. It will stop ticket touts with no interest or involvement in music, sport or other cultural events rewarding themselves at the expense of fans, sporting bodies, artists and promoters. Everyone can be comforted by the fact that, as fans, they will now have the information they need to ensure they are not being ripped off. When people know their rights, they can be in a much stronger position. There is only one situation where reselling tickets above face value is allowed, for example, when charities are fundraising, but again I feel this could be exploited.

We need to tighten it up much more.

I hope the Bill will also stipulate the commissions that can be charged by various companies. If and when this Bill passes, how will it be enforced? The biggest problem in this country is enforcement.

How would anyone like to have the golden ticket, as in Willy Wonka? A situation arose last week with Penneys. Customers of Penneys may book a private appointment online. However, slots are being batted around on Buy and Sell with prices between €10 and €100. Companies are facilitating the slots, set up to allow for social distance. People are on different social media platforms exploiting this to fill their own pockets. After everything people have gone through, there is no compassion given to people around them.

I welcome the Bill. I hope it goes far enough, stops the touts and protects people and their hard-earned money but also for people's mental health, when they need to go to Penneys or their matches. I could see myself in 2018 or 2020 when Limerick came to Dublin and won the all-Ireland and how hard it was to get tickets. I used to go to every match with my sons, but I remember how hard it was to get any ticket, whether terrace or stand, and there were people throughout the country trying to do the same for their matches. We could see when online and when we arrived in Dublin there were people with fists full of tickets for sale. I hope when this Bill passes the money goes back to the people who have been ripped off for years upon years by these touts and others profiteering, who make no investment in any of our culture or sports. I commend the Minister on this and will support it 100%.

With the permission of an Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I wish to ask the Tánaiste a question that I have been trying to ask him all week. He can decide whether he wants to answer - it does not matter - but I must ask it for 150 people and families in Limerick and in Cork.

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