Jess Kelly

This is something that I think is much needed.

But it's also a good excuse for us to look back at how Ireland, the ticketing companies and artists have looked to tackle the touts.

Ticket touting, the reselling of tickets at inflated prices has long plagued Ireland's live events sector.

Fans missed out on concerts and matches as tickets were rapidly bought and resold at many multiples of their original price.

Proposals to tackle it date back years, but momentum gathered in 2017 when a private members' bill was introduced by Noel Rock and Stephen Donnelly to curb the practice.

Behind the scenes, a technological arms race was already underway.

Automated bots were increasingly used to buy tickets in bulk within seconds, locking out genuine fans and fuelling the resale markets.

That push culminated in the Sale of Tickets Act 2021, signed into law in July 2021 and brought into force on July 31st that year.

The core measure is simple but far-reaching.

Firstly, reselling tickets above face value is illegal for designated events and venues.

Both online and in-person resale markets are covered.

Sellers must provide transparent information, including original price and seat details.

And violators face fines of up to €100,000 or imprisonment for up to two years.

Only certain high demand events and venues are covered, those formally designated by the minister.

Charities and amateur sports clubs are exempt when they're selling tickets for fundraising purposes.

While the 2021 Act targeted resale profiteering, policymakers soon identified new gaps.

One major concern?

Dynamic pricing.

Dynamic pricing is where ticket sales rise in real time as demand increases.

Critics argue it can replicate the effect of touting, even though no resale occurs.