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Any mass gathering of more than 5,000 people will be banned until September 1 according to plans to be announced by the Government due to the current coronavirus crisis.
Government sources said that local authorities will be asked not to grant licenses for major events in this period due to the coronavirus crisis.
It is understood that the decision was made by the ministers at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning. The decision means that the main sporting events, concerts and other events will have to be reorganized.
In a statement, the government said it would give more health advice before the current restrictions end on May 5.
“However, there are a number of large-scale future events that require licenses and the participation of HSE and Garda Síochána, and a public consultation on that licensing process that local authorities must determine before that.”
“While the issue of restrictions on future mass meetings is a decision for the NPHET to make, in the case of these particular events, and taking into account the short-term impacts on the integrity of the licensing process due to restrictions In Stakeholder Engagement, local authorities have been informed by the Government that event promoters should be informed that events requiring licenses over 5,000 will not be considered for the period until the end of August. “
Mass gatherings were first restricted in the State on March 12 when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced that indoor gatherings of more than 100 people should be canceled and outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people should be canceled. All mass gatherings have been restricted since March 24.
Tidy Towns canceled
Meanwhile, the cancellation of the Tidy Towns 2020 competition was confirmed by the Minister of Rural and Community Development Michael Ring “in the interest of public health and safety”.
“I know that many TidyTowns committees have been wondering if the competition will continue this year and I think it is important to provide certainty.
“For me, the health and well-being of the volunteers on the TidyTowns Committees is paramount. Given the current restrictions on public gatherings, travel, and adherence to social distancing, it would not be appropriate to ask volunteer groups to work on TidyTowns projects in their communities at this time.
“Therefore, I have decided that the TidyTowns competition will not take place this year.”
Not surprised
MCD owner Denis Desmond said he is not surprised by the government’s decision to ban large gatherings.
Desmond, who is the largest promoter of live shows in Ireland, said he was already planning to cancel the shows planned for the summer as many international acts are not on tour anyway.
“It was only a matter of time. It is the right thing, we have been waiting for it. Germany and Denmark announced these restrictions last week and it is only a matter of time before the UK also announces them,” he said.
“Everyone must be on the same page. American acts would have difficulty coming to Europe. They would not only depend on shows in the UK and Ireland, but they would also have to have shows in Europe. It would not be feasible for them to come play only a few shows. ”
He anticipated that the concerts and festivals that were to take place in 2020 will now run until 2021.
“That is something we will start working on right away. In twenty-four hours we will announce new dates. Most of the shows go back 12 months, ”he said.
Among the festivals that will now be canceled will be the inaugural Sunstroke rock festival that will take place in Punchestown between June 13-14 and Longitude, which will take place in Marlay Park in South Dublin between July 3-5. They were all promoted by MCD.
He said the impact on live music in general has yet to be seen. “The only positive thing is that we only have one year of vaccination at most. Hopefully we all get back to business next summer. Industry in Ireland alone is worth € 2 billion. We have never seen anything like this and we hope we will never see it again. ”
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