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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation

Festival funds lost to Tickets.ie collapse

Summary

Eamon Scanlon raised the collapse of Tickets.ie and the resulting losses to the Rory Gallagher and Cowboys and Heroes festivals, asking for support and safer handling of client funds. The Taoiseach acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, said a legislative response may be needed, and pledged to seek short-term help.

The Taoiseach will be aware of the devastating situation now facing two major festivals in the north west following the collapse of Tickets.ie over the June bank holiday weekend. The Rory Gallagher International Festival in Ballyshannon is owed €283,000 and the Cowboys and Heroes festival in Leitrim is owed €130,000 in revenue that rightly belongs to them. These festivals are not just annual events. They are significant cultural and economic drivers for communities in Donegal and Leitrim and attract thousands of visitors every year. Organisers are determined to pay their suppliers but without intervention they will be left with crippling debt and may struggle to survive to 2027. What is urgently needed is Government assistance to ensure the revenue can be recovered. Beyond that, we need robust legislation to compel ticketing agents to ring-fence client funds so this kind of collapse can never happen again.

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Verona Murphy An Ceann Comhairle Independent

The question, Deputy.

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What support can we give these people? Legislation should be introduced to make safe clients' funds, as is the case with solicitors and estate agents.

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I thank Deputy Scanlon for raising this issue. They are both very significant festivals - the Rory Gallagher one in particular. Even in Cork, I have always admired the Donegal capture of Rory Gallagher in terms of its wonderful festival. In a serious vein, this is a serious issue for them. It is-----

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It is €283,000.

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-----€283,000. That is huge. There is need for a legislative response but I also think we have to work to see if we can help those festivals in the short term. I understand the Minister, Deputy Burke, has been examining this but I will talk to my colleagues to see what assistance we can provide or what we can do here because these are important festivals in those localities. I will revert to the Deputy on that.

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