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Ticket touting: New law to ban above-face value resales approved by Cabinet

It would also prohibit the use of bot software to purchase tickets.

THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED TICKET touting law has been approved by Cabinet today.

Minister for Business, Enterprise, and Innovation Heather Humphreys told her ministerial colleagues today that she will be amending but supporting the Private Members Bill proposed by Fianna Fáil’s Stephen Donnelly and Fine Gael’s Noel Rock.

The proposed legislation would ban the above-face value resale of tickets for sporting and entertainment events in designated venues with a capacity of 1,000 or over.

It would also prohibit the use of bot software to purchase tickets in excess of the number permitted by event organisers.

The Anti-Ticket Touting Bill has been lying idle in the Oireachtas Bills Office for over a year due to it being a Private Members Bill.

However, it is understood the minister has been anxious to take action on ticket touting and has been in discussions with both Rock and Donnelly behind the scenes about progressing their legislation, which is being dubbed as ‘new politics at work’ due to both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael joining forces on the issue.

Ticket prices

The issue of ticket touting has been hitting the headlines over the years due to the extortionate prices being charged for tickets to popular gigs such as U2 and Ed Sheeran.

Speaking today about the proposed legislation, the minister said it’s wrong that people who make no contribution to sport or music can profit from the resale of tickets for sell-out matches and shows.

“In doing so, they deprive genuine fans of the opportunity to attend these events, and the time has come to put a stop to it,” she said.

The minister said she is confident that this Bill will have the support of the main sporting bodies, of many artists and promoters in the entertainment industry, and of music and sports fans right across the country.

She said the Bill is also “a tangible example of new politics at work and in that regard I want to acknowledge the efforts of Deputies Noel Rock and Stephen Donnelly, who have engaged constructively on this matter so we can bring forward workable proposals which will benefit genuine fans”.

Donnelly said for too long, genuine music and sports fans have been ripped off by organised ticket touting.

“While there has always been some low-level touting, the move to online sales and ‘bots’ has brought ticket touting to an industrial scale. Recent assertions to a Westminster committee link some of this to organised crime, based partly in Ireland. Time and time again, fans are being told that all tickets are sold out on the primary sales website, while almost immediately being able to buy those same tickets at much higher prices on other websites,” he said.

The Wicklow TD said it is fans, artists and sporting bodies that suffer.

He said the new legislation is a “strong move” to protect fans, artists and sporting bodies, adding he wants the Bill to make its way speedily through the Houses of the Oireachtas so it can become law.

Rock said the new legislation will be a “game-changer” for Irish entertainment and sporting fans.

He said it is his ambition that other nations across Europe will replicate the legislation.

Ticket sellers

Stakeholders have already been consulted on possible changes to the law, with more than 24 interested parties making submissions during the public consultation period, which was undertaken in response to public concern at the resale of tickets at a price often well in excess of their face value.

Submissions by Ticketmaster and Seatwave said the companies were unhappy with proposed changes to the law.

In its submission, Seatwave stated that it strongly believes the introduction of legislation to regulate the ticket resale market “will be both ineffective and will, in fact, be detrimental to Irish fans”.

Seatwave, which was acquired by Ticketmaster in November 2014, allows fans who missed out on sold-out gigs to purchase official tickets.

It allows fans to sell their tickets, even within minutes of purchase, and charges a 10% “success fee” on sales. It also allows customers set their own selling price.

The company came in for criticism when U2 tickets, which sold out within minutes on Ticketmaster, popped up on Seatwave for thousands of euro.

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Dec 1st 2016, 7:47 AM

    We know Dylan does not want to publicly receive this so let’s hear about the other winners and what they did to receive such high distinction. That’s the article I want to read.

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Dec 1st 2016, 10:21 PM

    @Deborah Behan: They told people to vote for Hillary this year???

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    Mute Anthony Byrne
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    Dec 1st 2016, 7:41 AM

    Well, it would have been a bit inconsistent of him if he had shown up … Sticking to his guns I guess.

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    Mute GCLPhD
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    Dec 1st 2016, 7:46 AM

    He was probably afraid crooked Hillary was going to be there.

    46
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    Mute Joseph Dempsey
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    Dec 1st 2016, 7:55 AM

    interesting Dylan showed up for his presidential medal of freedom and yet appears to be turning up his nose at the Nobel Prize, a tad ungreatful Boll@* impression I’m getting of Dylan.

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    Mute David Quim
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    Dec 1st 2016, 5:21 PM

    @Joseph Dempsey: He is not “turning up his nose” at a prize that he never sought and which must have come as a huge surprise to him. He did thank the Swedes for it and said he would attend the ceremony in Stockholm “if at all possible”. Now it seems it isn’t possible, but he doesn’t owe anyone an explanation of why that is so.

    And what makes you think he would give a rat’s arse what impression a judgemental little anonymous nobody like you gets?

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    Mute Naberius
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    Dec 1st 2016, 8:09 AM

    So what if they were all migrants. As if hordes of Mexican, Irish, and whatever other illegals are equivalent to four British scientists who legally emigrated to the US.

    Regarding Bob Dylan, it’s funny that some old twanger who hasn’t had a half decent tune for decades still gets so much attention.

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    Mute ktsiwot
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    Dec 1st 2016, 10:21 AM

    @Naberius:
    He did not ask for the attention.

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    Mute Red hurley
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    Dec 1st 2016, 7:49 AM

    Give it to someone else.someone harder working with more talent.shouldn’t be that hard to find someone.

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    Mute Hugh Mannatee
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    Dec 1st 2016, 10:51 AM

    Red Hurley? Do you have anyone in mind? What’s the name of that Irish singer popular in the 80′s? His name escapes me. He’d be a good Nobel Laureate. What’s his name, Red Hurley? It’s at the tip of my tongue.

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    Mute Frederick Burden
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    Dec 1st 2016, 10:34 AM

    ‘Migrants’
    Escaping the hell holes of Oxford and Cambridge.

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    Mute john Appleseed
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    Dec 1st 2016, 7:34 AM

    One of the greatest song writer of our time.

    “All l I can do is be me, whoever that is”

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    Mute Hugh Mannatee
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    Dec 1st 2016, 8:34 AM

    This week I am mostly arrogant and petty.

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    Mute Paul Harte
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    Dec 1st 2016, 8:59 AM

    Too cool for school

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    Mute Paul Lane
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    Dec 1st 2016, 8:50 AM

    Ungrateful arrogant person who should be stripped of the award…Full of his own self importance

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    Mute Gavin Carton
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    Dec 1st 2016, 9:11 AM

    @Paul Lane: “Self-important” and “arrogant” for NOT accepting an award?!!?

    You need to go back and consult your dictionary, friend!!

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    Mute Fox in the Box
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    Dec 1st 2016, 10:02 AM

    @Paul Lane:

    Q: What do the following Nobel winners have in common?

    Novelist Doris Lessing in 2007, playwright Harold Pinter in 2005 and writer Elfriede Jelinek in 2004?

    A: They didn’t accept the award in person

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    Mute Paul A Whelan
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    Dec 1st 2016, 10:45 AM

    @Fox in the Box: Some could not because of health issues.

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    Mute David Quim
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    Dec 1st 2016, 5:11 PM

    @Paul A Whelan: How do you know what shape the 75-year-old Dylan is in? Maybe a trip all the way to Stockholm would be hard on him, but he doesn’t want to moan in public about his health.

    No one can nominate themself for the Nobel Prize and Dylan probably had no inkling that he was getting one until the name of the winner was announced in Sweden.

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    Mute Peter Martin
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    Dec 1st 2016, 1:36 PM

    Dylan probably recognises the insanity of the Nobel institute which awarded Obama the Peace Prize in 2008 upon his inauguration as President. Apparently Henry Kissinger was also a ‘peace’ recipient. Nothing could be more hypocritical, insane ,mad crazy as awarding these two war mongers this award. Dylan wrote songs about peace and the ending of wars. So, congratulations Bob. You are consistent as well as being a great singer, song writer, poet and humanitarian.

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    Mute Poole Hyde
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    Dec 1st 2016, 2:47 PM

    Besides I’m pretty sure Dylan didn’t put his name forward for the prize in the first place. Why on earth should anyone be expected to turn up for a ceremony they didn’t sign up for.

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    Mute Patrick James Walsh
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    Dec 1st 2016, 1:13 PM

    Just send me the prize money,(€0.93 million)

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    Mute David Quim
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    Dec 1st 2016, 5:05 PM

    @Patrick James Walsh: I’m sure Bob needs it as badly as I need a €5 gift from the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

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    Mute Buster VL
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    Dec 1st 2016, 8:02 AM

    Dylan must be very busy these days.

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    Mute Rosa Parks
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    Dec 1st 2016, 7:20 PM

    Is he unwell?

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Dec 1st 2016, 10:19 PM

    Is he sick of all the B…S…?

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