merrion street

The Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Bill 2020 has been notified to the European Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Directive (EU) 2015/1535 and can be accessed on the Commission’s Technical Regulation Information System website.  The Bill comes within the scope of the Directive as the predominantly online nature of ticket resale means that it constitutes an information society service. 

In July 2018, the Government agreed to support the Private Member’s Prohibition of Above-cost Ticket Touting Bill 2017 at Second Stage in Dáil Éireann and approved a number of amendments to the Bill proposed by the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation. The Bill concluded Second Stage in February 2019.

On 29 January 2020, the Government approved a number of further amendments to the Bill, including to change the original title, and the submission of a draft of the Bill as amended to the European Commission in accordance with the requirement under Directive (EU) 2015/1535. 

The text of the Bill notified to the European Commission is a working draft approved by Government for the purpose of notification to the EU Commission.  If a future Government decides to proceed with such legislation, it will have to approve a stamped draft of the Bill for publication and circulation to Dáil Éireann in accordance with the established procedures for legislative proposals.