Vaccine certs could “potentially” be used to allow major music festivals such as Electric Picnic to resume, Tourism Minister Catherine Martin has said.
Speaking to reporters at Dublin Castle on Tuesday, Ms Martin, who is responsible for Tourism, Arts and Culture, said the focus right now is on reopening indoor dining.
When asked when musicians or DJs may see a return to gigging in rural counties, Ms Martin told the Irish Mirror: “The work we're doing in hospitality may be able to be transferred over to the music but again I want it to reopen but stay open when we do that.
“I think there’s potential...the immediate priority is to get indoor hospitality reopened but I do see the potential there..to be applied to the arts, music and entertainment [industry].
“As Minister for tourism, I have an eye on the immediate [indoor dining] but as Minister for Arts, I see the potential.”
But the Green Party Minister said it’s down to promoters of major festivals such as Electric Picnic to make decisions on proceeding despite the festival seeking clarity from the Minister.
Ms Martin warned about the Delta variant and said the government will be watching the data in the coming weeks on its impact.
Ms Martin said she is in constant engagement with the events and music industry.
She said the State will continue with pilot events throughout July and said she is working on more pilot events.
Ms Martin said as long as social distancing is in place, it is not viable for venues to reopen to provide indoor entertainment.
She said: “It’s not viable for venues to open with social distancing, it just simply doesn’t work.
“They need up to 80% capacity before they can actually start making money on an event so as long as social distancing is in place, we’ll keep the supports in place.
“But obviously my goal is to reopen as soon as safely to do so.”
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