As it is Deputy Burton's first opportunity to take Leaders' Questions in her new role as Tánaiste, on behalf of our party, I wish her well in the work ahead as Tánaiste and look forward to continued robust interaction with her here.

The decision seven days ago to prevent two of the five Garth Brooks concerts going ahead should have signalled to the Tánaiste and the Government that this was a serious issue that had arisen. When it was announced that the remaining three concerts were to be cancelled, it was clear to all concerned that a crisis was looming-----

Crisis?

Deputy Timmy Dooley would know all about a crisis.

-----that had the potential to strike an economic blow to the city of Dublin and tarnish the international reputation of Ireland from a tourism perspective.

Unlike the backbenchers in the Labour Party, I do not believe this is about a particular genre of entertainment. It is about the loss of €50 million in revenue to the hotel and catering sector of this city and the surrounding area. It is about upsetting the travel plans of 70,000 inbound tourists at a time when we are trying to re-establish Ireland as a great place to visit. It is about disappointing 400,000 ticket holders who have purchased and paid for their tickets and are looking forward to the event that they had expected to attend. It is about the reputational damage to Ireland as a destination for international entertainment events on a large scale at a time when we are trying to attract the Rugby World Cup in 2023. It is about the employment of a few thousand casual workers in the hotels, bars and catering outlets around this city, and, indeed, many bus drivers and bus owners around Ireland.

Aiken Promotions is having a laugh.

A week ago I published a short Bill to bring about a constructive outcome to this fiasco. The Taoiseach sat on his hands for a week. On Tuesday, on the Order of Business, I made it clear to him that, based on the contacts I had made, it was still possible to bring about a resolution to this issue.

It was Fianna Fáil that introduced the legislation with no right of appeal. Come on, Timmy, you were in government.

However, the Taoiseach said it was too late because the artist had made his decision. By so doing, the Taoiseach allowed the reputation of Ireland to be sullied by the hundreds of thousands of media clips of a negative connotation that appeared.

Come on; this is the Parliament.

Will Deputy Timmy Dooley put his question, please?

It is embarrassing and it should not have happened. The Tánaiste's backbenchers laughed at us and they are continuing to do it, yet the Labour Party's own Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs wanted the Taoiseach to contact Garth Brooks-----

Will the Deputy put his question? He is over time.

I am trying to. With respect, I am being prevented from doing so by the heckles.

Please put the question.

He is being heckled by the Labour Party.

Will the Deputy stay quiet also?

If that was Leonard Cohen, they would be jumping up and down.

Do not make a farce out of the whole thing.

Or probably Bob Dylan.

Intellectual snobs.

Will Deputy Timmy Dooley put his question?

I am attempting to. I need a bit of ciúnas.

What is the question?

My question is very clear. I said at the outset it was not about the genre of entertainment or even-----

Just put the question.

It is very clear now, and the Tánaiste's backbenchers are adding to it, that the issue has gone from fiasco to farce.

We know all of that. Will the Deputy put his question?

The Tánaiste and the Government bear considerable responsibility in that regard.

Why is there no right of appeal?

The questions I put to the Tánaiste are these. Why did the Taoiseach sit on his hands for a week? Why did the Government sit back for a week, when even the Mexicans and the Moneygall native, Barack Obama, are getting involved, yet neither the Taoiseach nor the Government was prepared to do it?

Will the Tánaiste tell us, now that the penny has dropped with the Taoiseach that this is an important issue, what options are being addressed or discussed by the Government and what direction will issue to the city manager?

Have you a ticket bought, Timmy?

It is all planning law.

I thought you guys did not direct city managers.

Will Members, please, refrain from making a joke out of the whole thing?

I am sorry. It is a Leaders' Question and it is within the rules set down by this House. The Deputy is entitled to ask the question. Equally, the Tánaiste is entitled to give an answer. Will Deputies, please, stay quiet in order that we can hear it?

First, I thank Deputy Timmy Dooley for his good wishes for my new role. Second, I thought the only people he left out were possibly the Brazilians, who might be free to be involved at this point in time.

This is a really important issue.

The backbenchers do not think so.

That is why they are at 7%.

The critical thing is that 400,000 people have bought tickets for a concert. It is about people having a summer celebration. The Government is absolutely interested in seeing how best it can assist the process. I want to make it clear that I want the issues resolved. It is a significant economic boost to the economy - I see people have indicated in the region of €50 million.

It is actually higher.

It also involves 70,000 to 80,000 people coming to Ireland, and that is important. The way that this can be resolved, as Deputy Timmy Dooley is well aware, is through discussion among the parties. I want to encourage the parties to engage in all of the discussions that are necessary to resolve this issue.

With regard to Deputy Timmy Dooley's suggestion in regard to the city manager or, under his new title, the chief executive officer of Dublin, his is a statutory authority, as the Deputy is well aware.

It is all about titles.

He is a person of integrity and he has come to a particular decision. However, in the light of the facts that have come to attention in regard to the process, particularly in the last few days, I believe and certainly hope that, through discussion, it will be possible to resolve this issue.

I am aware as well that Garth Brooks intends to have a press conference or television conference sometime around 5 p.m. today. It sends a very important message-----

We will see that first.

Sorry, I thought the Deputy was only-----

Give Garth a call yourself, Mattie. He probably knows who you are.

I know him.

What about the country and western wing of Fianna Fáil? Would they not sort it out?

Will the Tánaiste, please, ignore this and proceed to make her point?

I understand he is interested in using Ireland as the launch pad for his world tour and to make a music video. That is obviously very important and of potential benefit. I also want to say, in regard to Mr. Brooks, that if the concerts get under way successfully, we should invite him to perhaps complete the world tour in Dublin, probably some time after the two years of the world tour.

The Government is positively disposed to doing all it can to assist the process but the decision maker in law at this point is the city manager. I think, though, that events and facts have come to light which were perhaps not in the public domain at the time he made his decision. I certainly feel that through discussions between the parties it may be possible to achieve a resolution. I hope it will be achieved.

It is welcome that the Tánaiste treated the issue with the seriousness it deserves and based on the economic criteria I have set out.

It seems that there is something of a disconnect between the Tánaiste and her backbenchers. Clearly, the members of her party sought to ensure she was elected. If Garth Brooks is tuning in on the web, as I understood he did to some of Dublin City Council's deliberations, he would be somewhat confused by the Tánaiste's response and her request to him to finish up his world tour here in Dublin at a time when there seems to be no co-ordination-----

Will the Deputy, please, put his supplementary question?

With the greatest respect, I have been heckled from the time I stood up.

I will protect the Deputy's rights. Will the Deputy put his supplementary question and I will protect his rights?

I dare say Garth Brooks will be somewhat confused by the Tánaiste's request to finish up his tour here when she has not outlined a mechanism by which it can happen. She talks about process and facts coming to light.

Will the Deputy, please, put his supplementary question?

Can she tell us the facts that have come to light that would raise question marks over the process undertaken? What measures can be put in place in the absence of an appropriate appeals mechanism to try to resolve the issue?

I assume that the Deputy is absolutely sincere in his request to see these concerts successfully take place in Ireland. I, therefore, suggest the floor of the Dáil is not the place to engage in very detailed discussion. There has been ample coverage in great detail of everything that has emerged in respect of this issue in all of the media, particularly the newspapers, in the past week. If the Deputy wants a successful outcome, as opposed to simply a heated debate, I would put my confidence in negotiations among the parties who are affected. I want to see a successful outcome and honestly do not propose to be involved in any detailed discussion of the matter. However, the Government and I would like to see a successful outcome. Like others, I have lots of family and friends who are committed to having an enjoyable evening out in Dublin coming from all parts of Ireland. We all know that it has the capacity to be a fantastic event which will also showcase Ireland. The Government is prepared to assist.