This week, Senator Barry Ward talks ticket touts with former Fine Gael TD Noel Rock, and barrister and law lecturer, James McDermott. The Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act 2021 all stages and was signed into law last July and is now facing its first real life tests as live events return. Then TD for Dublin North-West, Noel Rock, along with Stephen Donnelly TD , originally sponsored the Prohibition of Above-cost Ticket Touting Bill 2017, which fell with the 32nd Dáil and was re-entered as the Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Bill 2021 by Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Leo Varadkar TD.

Previous private members’ bills on this issue also include:the Sale of Tickets (Sporting and Cultural Events) Bill 2017 by Maurice Quinlivan TD of Sinn Féin;the Prohibition of Ticket Touts Bill 2005 by Jimmy Deenihan TD  of Fine Gael;the Prohibition of Ticket Touts Bill 1998 by Alan Shatter TD of Fine Gael; andthe Sale of Tickets Bill 1990 by Pat Rabbitte TD of Labour.

You can read the debates and details of the Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act 2021 as it passed through the Oireachtas, here.

Noel Rock is a former Fine Gael TD for Dublin North-West. You can follow Noel on Twitter @noelrock  on Instagram @rockdublin, and on Facebook, or find out more about him on his web site. Noel is the founder of Pixel Consulting, a technology-focused consulting firm (Twitter @pixel_ie; Instagram @pixel_consulting).

James McDermott is a practising barrister and Assistant Professor in the UCD Sutherland School of Law. You can read some of James’ articles in The Irish Times here and in The Sunday Business Post here.

The Irish Legislation Podcast is presented by Senator Barry Ward. Follow Barry on Twitter @barrymward; Instagram @barrym_ward; Facebook at BarryWard.ie; or his web site: www.barryward.ie.

E-mail [email protected] with any comments or suggestions.