Irish event workers call for 100% capacity reopening after Tánaiste's UK festival attendance

A photograph emerged over the weekend of Mr Varadkar attending the Mighty Hoopla festival in London

On Monday morning, the Event Industry Alliance called on the Government to reopen the live event industry at 100% capacity. Picture: PA

The Tánaiste’s attendance at a music festival in the UK has drawn divided opinions as Ireland's entertainment sector remains subject to Covid-19 restrictions.

A photograph emerged over the weekend of Leo Varadkar attending the Mighty Hoopla festival in London.

It prompted particular anger as it was the same weekend when the Electric Picnic festival was originally due to take place, though the organisers had already rearranged the event until the end of September in the hopes of it going ahead before ultimately cancelling it.

On Monday morning, the Event Industry Alliance called on the Government to reopen the live event industry at 100% capacity.

In a statement, the EIA said they are "glad to see An Tánaiste recognises and trusts the safety measures put in place by our UK colleagues".

The industry group said it was now calling on the Government to “open our industry at 100 per cent capacity without further delay,” as it said full capacity was needed to make events financially viable.

“It has been repeatedly stated and acknowledged by An Taoiseach and the Tánaiste (as recently as last Event Industry Stakeholder meeting with Minister Catherine Martin) that the commercial event sector requires 100 per cent capacity to be viable,” an EIA statement said.

The group added that they have received no explanation or supporting data "for continuing to keep us closed or at reduced capacity" until October 22.

'Clickbait'

Meanwhile, a Fine Gael Senator has defended Leo Varadkar's attendance at a UK music festival, describing the controversy as little more than "clickbait".

Cork senator Jerry Buttimer has defended Leo Varadkar's attendance at a UK music festival, describing the controversy as little more than "clickbait".

Cork senator Jerry Buttimer told Newstalk the Tánaiste was on a private visit to London at the weekend and that he has been a "strong advocate" for the entertainment industry in Ireland.

"Leo Vardakar has been a supporter of a strong advocate of events like Electric Picnic was which wasn't cancelled by Government," he said.

Members of the live entertainment industry have criticised the Tánaiste over his attendance as the sector here remained closed up until today.

Events promoter Buzz O'Neill-Maxwell tweeted that Mr Varadkar had "ignored calls to open up the industry" and had treated the industry with "apathy".

Ignores our calls to open up our entertainment industry, then fucks off to a festival in the UK.. @mightyhoopla . Zero shame @LeoVaradkar pic.twitter.com/AzzIgTefjB

— Buzz O'Neill-Maxwell (@buzzoneill) September 4, 2021

The sharing of the image of the Tánaiste at the event was “an invasion of privacy” and the whole issue needed to be put in perspective, Mr Buttimer said.

“He has been the Taoiseach of a Government and a minister of a Government that has supported the events industry to the tune of €100 million. He has been a strong advocate of reopening the country.

“The important point here is that this is a story that is a non-story. It is about the click-bait society we live in and I think it is disappointing it has gone to the level it has gone to,” he added.

'In poor taste'

Meanwhile, on RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show singer Mary Coughlan described the decision of Mr Varadkar to attend the UK music festival as “in very poor taste”.

“It seems like he just doesn’t have a clue. What’s going on in his head?

“It was in very poor taste, he should have put more thought and effort into organising outdoor events here.”

Mr Varadkar was also criticised by Kate O'Connell, a former Fine Gael TD and frequent critic of his. Ms O'Connell told RTÉ Radio that the picture was "tone-deaf".

“I do think that the pictures, to my mind, show a serious lack of self-awareness, I think the week that’s in it and I think if you’re a policymaker making decisions that are affecting all of our lives, and then you leave the country within which you make those decisions to have your jolly elsewhere, I think it’s jarring,” she said.

“I think it was completely tone-deaf. I think it’s about leadership and showing example. I think a point comes where you have to be mature and say, ‘How will this look?’ 

“We’re not all the second in command of the country and that’s the fundamental difference.”