Govt Accused Of 'Kicking The Can Of Ticket Touting Down The Road'

The government has been accused of "kicking the can of ticket touting down the road again", as the Sinn Féin 'Sale of Tickets Bill' faces further delays.

Making the criticism, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Maurice Quinlivan, said: "In May 2017, Sinn Féin’s anti-ticket touting legislation came for second stage debate. The government then put down an amendment to delay the progress of this bill by nine months for no reason whatsoever.

"These nine months have now expired and yesterday I moved a motion in the Dáil to refer the Sale of Tickets Bill to the Committee on Business, Enterprise and Innovation for third stage debate.

"This morning I received news that my bill will now be referred for a money message, a method employed by Taoiseach Varadkar to stop opposition bills in their tracks, which essentially kills opposition bills."

Deputy Quinlivan said that he has become aware that the government is now considering supporting a brand new anti-ticket touting bill, further delaying the process, and ensuring this problem of ticket touting continues for the foreseeable future. 

He concluded: "Ticket touting is an attack on consumer’s rights and it deserves to be addressed immediately. People are rightly fed up getting ripped off by touts when they are trying to buy tickets for a match or concert.

"Unfortunately this government is more concerned with ensuring every Bill that passes through the Oireachtas has a Fine Gael stamp on it rather than on solving actual problems.

"Personally I do not care whose name is on the ticket touting bill, once the problem is stamped out once and for all."

(MH)