Emergency legislation won't solve Garth issue - Minister
"Emergency legislation will not solve the Garth Brooks concerts issue and may even jeopardise any concert taking place," Minister for the Environment, Alan Kelly has stated today, adding that "a line needs to be drawn" under the controvery in the next 48 hours.
Minister Kelly said that to amend the legislation on which Dublin City Council granted the existing concert licence could open up all the concerts to a legal challenge and rushed legislation may not stand up to such a challenge.
"It would only serve to make an already bad situation worse and bring further uncertainty to the situation. I will not be going down this road.”
The Minister pointed out that legally, he is precluded from intervening in any individual decision made by a planning authority, under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act.
"Reports to the contrary are inaccurate and incorrect," he said, adding that given this country's history of political interference in the planning process, this is entirely appropriate.
"As a general comment, I believe this situation can only be solved by all the parties coming together in an atmosphere of calm and with all sides being flexible in their approach," he continued.
"If this happens, I would be optimistic that the common good and common sense will prevail as the distance between all parties is not insurmountable.
“A period of calm engagement is now required. We have many other issues to concentrate on as a country and a line needs to be drawn under this controversy over the next forty-eight hours.
"I would ask all sides to engage with each other on this basis,”
"I will be taking firm steps to ensure we will never be at this ridiculous juncture again as it is not in anyone’s interests. I am committed to a carrying out a wholesale review of the way major events are handled and this will be progressed in the coming months as opposed to carrying it out in rushed manner that is in neither the interests of concert-goers, residents or the planning system in general.”