I return to the issue of the liquidation of tickets.ie. As I mentioned yesterday when I raised this issue, as somebody who is a director of a not-for-profit music festival, I understand the challenges festivals face across the State. In the past, I have raised the fact we have lost about a dozen major festivals across the State in recent years. The liquidation of tickets.ie has had a devastating impact on a number of festivals, including some that are not for profit, such as the Rory Gallagher International Festival in Ballyshannon in my county. The potential hit there is €283,000, which is literally wipe-out territory. That cannot happen. This is an excellent festival that attracts people internationally and keeps the name of Rory Gallagher alive. It is also very important for the local economy. Others have also been mentioned, including Liberty, Rockathon and other events. There is a serious flaw in the legislation that has to be fixed. This should never be allowed to happen and it has to be dealt with. However, the immediate priority here is ensuring we do not lose these festivals. What interaction has the Minister had with the parent company, which has a multimillion euro turnover in Germany? What is the Government looking at to make sure these festivals are rescued in terms of grant support?

Sentiment score: 0.24