Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I know many young people across the country are anxious to get their hands on the much sought-after Taylor Swift tickets that will be released in the next few weeks. I hope that the extra measures taken by Ticketmaster are successful in stamping out ticket touts, and that tickets will go to actual fans who have waited a long time to see her live.

The power of live music cannot be overstated, and it is something that I think is often overlooked. Studies have shown that people who regularly experience live music boost their creativity and cognitive abilities, reduce their stress hormone levels, while increasing the production of endorphins, dopamine and oxytocin, and experience consistent social cohesion.

This social connection is more important now than ever in the wake of Covid-19. Considering that many young music fans missed out on two years of opportunities to experience live events, we need to ensure that they are now given the chance to experience this sense of community and connection that comes from live music, which can be hard to find in our technology-driven world, and that this experience is accessible to everyone equally.

Unfortunately, the greed of some in this country has made the experience of live events inaccessible for many of our citizens. While many young people’s anxieties are focused on obtaining tickets, the anxieties of many parents are focused on affording accommodation. From looking at Booking.com this morning, there is not a single hotel room available in Dublin for under €350 for either of the nights of the Taylor Swift concerts, and they are on next year. As if that is not expensive enough, we have, in recent days, seen rampant price gouging by Dublin hotels, some raising the price of a room from €359 to an incredible €999 for the night of the concert. This is before the tickets have even been released. Last weekend, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, described this as shocking, but what has he done about it?

It is not just hotels that are guilty of price gouging. One landlord has a two-bedroom Dublin apartment priced at €20,000 for the same weekend. How is this accessible for my constituents in Donegal, who are undoubtedly the most affected by this disgraceful display of greed because of their distance from the capital? I am highlighting the Taylor Swift concerts in particular because we know that she has a lot of young fans who cannot travel independently, and who will require adult supervision, but sadly this is not new or unique. Price gouging has been an issue with almost every live event that has taken place in recent years, from concerts to Ireland games to GAA finals.

This issue has affected fans of all genres of music and fans of all types and levels of sport, but it is rural fans who are affected most.

It is yet again another example of the immense greed and selfishness that has taken hold in this country, which is completely unacceptable and unscrupulous during this cost of living crisis. This is an accessibility issue that yet again affects my constituents more than others. What is the Government going to do about it?

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