Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-11
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Ken O'Flynn (II), Cork North-Central

The reality is that the Minister will have to come up with something in respect of these groups. Many of the festivals will not survive. Some have gone ahead or will go ahead but they are carrying huge deficits. They will go into liquidation. Some are limited companies, some are parish councils and some are community organisations. We will have a serious deficit if the Government does not invest in our festivals and does not come up with emergency funding or an emergency package. I have written to the Minister and a number of his ministerial colleagues. I ask him to intervene on the issue. It is about keeping our festivals not just this year but for next year and the years after it. There is no coming back from the blow experienced by many of these festivals. They are run by volunteer groups that have no other source of income.
The Minister mentioned a gap in legislation and regulation on this issue. In fact, it is a gaping hole. No other industry is operating in this type of cowboy country situation. If we look at a solicitor's fund or any client fund, we see it is well organised and well protected. Regulation must be brought to the House as quickly as possible to ensure the same is in place in this area.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-11