Dance acts could face Phoenix Park ban

Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald has suggested that dance acts may no longer be allowed to play in Dublin’s Phoenix Park after revealing she knows one of the people stabbed at last weekend’s controversial event.

Her comments came as her government colleague, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, said concert-goers should be scanned for weapons; Justice Minister Alan Shatter said organisers MCD should apologise for the events of last weekend; and backbench Labour TD Eamonn Maloney demanded that MCD be “arrested”.

Nine people were stabbed at the Saturday concert headlined by Swedish House Mafia, with two people who attended dying from suspected drugs overdoses and numerous arrests being made for public order and other offences.

Ms Fitzgerald said: “I know one of the young men who was stabbed at the concert and I think certain aspects of what happened are absolutely unacceptable and unfortunately became a showcase for the seriousness of drugs and alcohol issues which we have in this country, at huge cost personally and at huge cost to the country.

“Certainly we need to take stronger action in relation to a whole range of issues — availability of alcohol, costs of alcohol, we have to look at sponsorship.

“I think going forward we will have to analyse that very carefully to see what venue for what acts, what is suitable. And also the security issues: what is suitable for the Phoenix Park and what is suitable for the RDS may be quite different, given the security considerations.”

She said she did not want to speak about the specifics of what happened to the person she knows who was injured.

Senior gardaí and organisers MCD are carrying out a full review and an incident room has been set up in Cabra Garda Station to investigate many of the attacks which took place last Saturday.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter called on MCD to apologise and claimed the gates to the concert should have been opened earlier on the day.

Stating that he would look at legislating to crack down on public drunkenness Ms Shatter said: “I do think the promoters should apologise for the level of disorder at the concert.”

On the granting of future concert licences, he said: “If licenses are to be granted, conditions will have to fully reflect a comprehensive risk assessment, that takes into account the profile of persons likely to attend any particular type of concert.”

Speaking in the Dail, Labour TD Eamonn Maloney said: “Minister, I urge you, I think they [MCD] should be arrested.”