Pearse Doherty: Tickets.ie liquidation threatens festivals
Pearse Doherty raises urgent concerns about the liquidation of Tickets.ie and the immediate threat it poses to Irish festivals, including the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival in Ballyshannon. He asks what contact the Government has had with the parent company and what emergency support is being considered to protect festivals and local economies.
Pearse Doherty details how the collapse of Tickets.ie has had a devastating impact on a number of events, naming both community and not-for-profit festivals. He warns that the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival faces a potential hit of 283,000 euros - an amount he describes as "wipe-out territory" for a small town festival.
Doherty says there is a serious flaw in current legislation that must be fixed to prevent similar damage in future. The Minister replies that when an entity enters liquidation the rules are prescriptive, and an ongoing High Court challenge further constrains immediate action by officials.
The speech stresses the cultural and economic value festivals bring to towns like Ballyshannon and to the wider tourism sector. Doherty argues that preserving these events is a priority not only for artists and organisers but for local businesses and jobs.
The Minister confirms engagement with local organisers and says he will explore what can be done, working with Minister Patrick O'Donoghue, while warning he cannot promise outcomes at this early stage. The exchange focuses on what emergency grant support or interventions might be available once legal matters crystallise.
Immediate risk to festivals
Pearse Doherty details how the collapse of Tickets.ie has had a devastating impact on a number of events, naming both community and not-for-profit festivals. He warns that the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival faces a potential hit of 283,000 euros - an amount he describes as "wipe-out territory" for a small town festival.
Legislative barrier and legal context
Doherty says there is a serious flaw in current legislation that must be fixed to prevent similar damage in future. The Minister replies that when an entity enters liquidation the rules are prescriptive, and an ongoing High Court challenge further constrains immediate action by officials.
Local economic consequences
The speech stresses the cultural and economic value festivals bring to towns like Ballyshannon and to the wider tourism sector. Doherty argues that preserving these events is a priority not only for artists and organisers but for local businesses and jobs.
Minister's response and next steps
The Minister confirms engagement with local organisers and says he will explore what can be done, working with Minister Patrick O'Donoghue, while warning he cannot promise outcomes at this early stage. The exchange focuses on what emergency grant support or interventions might be available once legal matters crystallise.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Other speeches
Tego samego dnia All speeches from this day →
Sharon Keogan
Sharon Keogan: Demands Emergency Aid After Tickets.ie Collapse
Brendan Smith
Brendan Smith: Urgent call to replace The Day Centre
Mairéad Farrell
Mairéad Farrell: Galway housing crisis - emergency beds full
Brendan Smith
Brendan Smith: Demand for Faster Forestry Laws After Storm Éowyn
Brian Stanley
Brian Stanley: Urgent warning on rent rises and housing policy
Richard Boyd Barrett
Richard Boyd Barrett: Bill Rations Social Housing, Risks Homelessness
Transcript
Minister, I want to return to the issue of the liquidation of Tickets.ie and as I mentioned to you yesterday when I raised this issue, as somebody who is a director of a not-for-profit music festival, I understand the challenges that festivals face across the state. I raised in the past the fact that we've lost about a dozen major festivals across the state in the last number of years. The liquidation of Tickets.ie has had a devastating impact on a number of festivals, including some not-for-profit. Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival, my own county, Ballyshannon, 283,000 is the potential hit. That's literally wipe-out territory. That cannot happen. This is an excellent festival that attracts people internationally and keeps the name of Rory Gallagher alive, and it's really, really important for the local economy. There's others that have been mentioned as well, in terms of Liberty Rockathon and other events. I'm asking you again, there is a serious flaw in terms of the legislation that has to be fixed. This should never, ever be allowed to happen. That has to be dealt with, but the immediate priority here is to make sure that we do not lose these festivals. So can I ask you, what interaction have you had with the parent company? They have multi-million euro turnover in Germany, and what is the government looking at to actually make sure that these festivals are rescued in terms of grant support? Thank you. Thank you, Lascar and Cora, and thank you, Deputy Daugherty, for this very important question. It is an area where I absolutely can empathise with, because you have so many community groups who have given so much of their time to bring in festivals that really do contribute to the local economy. I spoke with Barry O'Neill in relation to the Rory Gallagher Festival earlier on this week, and the concerns that he has, and some of which you have outlined. I just have to be careful in terms of what I can do contacting the parent company, because when an entity goes into liquidation, the rules are very clear. They're very prescriptive in legislation, and obviously there's been a High Court challenge taken as well. So when that takes place, when it crystallises, I would obviously look to see, as I said to Deputy O'Flynn, what I can do in the years preceding. I know some of these festivals will be key to local areas to be going ahead over the next number of years. But I don't want to make any promises, because it's very early days yet. This is only after happening in the last 10 days. We want to see the events crystallise, and I will do all I can, because I want to see festivals, working with Minister Patrick O'Donoghue, take place in the communities that derive so much from them. For more UN videos visit www.un.org