Electric Picnic 'unlikely to go ahead' as September to see easing of restrictions on outdoor events

The Government says it will engage with the organisers of Electric Picnic over the weekend, but sources say it is not likely the event will go ahead.  File picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

The Government says it will engage with the organisers of Electric Picnic over the weekend, but sources say it is not likely the event will go ahead.  

"There will be further engagement over the weekend across Government and also with the organisers of Electric Picnic," a statement said.

However, one minister told The Irish Examiner the event was seen as too risky to take place this year.

The news comes after a four-hour meeting of the Cabinet subcommittee on Covid-19 held today.

After the meeting, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said "now is the time to start unwinding" restrictions, but acknowledged that doing so would come with risks.  Communions and confirmations are set resume in September, as will a phased relaxation of restrictions on outdoor events.

He said the broad outline of the plan had been agreed upon, but said specifics would not be agreed until Monday. There will be no singular reopening day, he said, adding that the plan would happen on a phased basis.

"There's nothing specific agreed today. We've agreed to meet again on Monday as a subcommittee and then Cabinet on Tuesday will meet to agree the plan."

Mr Ryan said the plan would give resumption dates for working from offices, live events and indoor sports for "September into October". He said that performers could expect to be back to work in September.

Mr Ryan said his colleague Catherine Martin would speak to events organisers over the weekend, but said that the meeting was not designed to give a yes or no to any specific event.

It is likely that any restrictions will not be lifted until the end of September.

Sources, who described the meeting as 'constructive', said that vaccine certs will be required for those wishing to attend theatres. This would allow for greater numbers to attend performaces, with audiences currently capped at 50.

The meeting also heard that 87% of Irish adults are vaccinated fully now but that the incidence of the Delta variant is expected to rise.

Earlier, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly appeared to dismiss Nphet’s demand that 90% of over-16s be fully vaccinated before restrictions can be relaxed.

Speaking on his way into the meeting at Government Buildings, Mr Donnelly said the country will be pretty close to that level anyway.

“I don’t think we need to get hung up on a particular figure be it 90% … we’re getting there or thereabouts anyway," he said.

Senior government sources have insisted it is a case of "when and not if" restrictions are lifted.

Roadmap for ending restrictions

Arts Minister Catherine Martin said that Nphet's insistence that 90% of over-16s be vaccinated before restrictions on live entertainment can be lifted is "a very hard target" to meet.

Speaking as she entered the Cabinet sub-committee meeting, Ms Martin said that she was "exploring what is possible" for those in the live music industry, but said Nphet's demand that 90% of over-16s be vaccinated in order for restrictions to be fully lifted was a difficult number to achieve.

That recommendation was contained in a letter sent by chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan to Minister Donnelly.

"We have silence in the music industry," said Ms Martin.

"We've had enough of that silence, I want to hear them playing again. I believe they have waited long enough, I want to see them getting paid for performing and doing what they do best and earning a living again."

I'm looking for a return to music in September and I think (the 90% target) is a very hard target to reach and there has been a lot of moving the goalposts.

She said she was aware there is "a planning issue" around the Electric Picnic music festival, but it is understood that Ms Martin will push for it to be used as a pilot event for the return to large outdoor music events.

The Government has said the return of 1.5m young people to schools and colleges remains a top priority. 

A move away from a restrictions model to a series of guidelines with an onus on personal responsibility will also be one of the central pillars of the plan.