I wish to share time with Deputy Ned O'Keeffe.
Adjournment Debates. - Safety at Public Concerts.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
I welcome the opportunity to raise this important matter. I extend the condolence of every Member to the family of Bernadette O'Brien who tragically died following injuries sustained at a rock concert at the Point Depot on Saturday night last. What began as a joyous occasion for Bernadette and her friends has become a terrible nightmare for her family.
The events that occurred at the concert in question are every parent's nightmare. Young people enjoying themselves suddenly discover they are in a dangerous and life threatening situation. It is essential that the events of Saturday night are examined in detail and we must obtain results as quickly as possible from the two inquiries under way. I request that the Minister of State commission an independent report to inquire into the exact events that took place on Saturday night and identify new recommendations for the management and safety of indoor pop concerts. It is clear that this type of event is becoming more attractive to young people who attend such concerts in increasing numbers at venues throughout the country.
A series of concerts are already being promoted for the summer months. As a parent I wish to be assured that if my children and others attend such events, they do so in the knowledge that every possible safety precaution has been taken. As a legislator I would like to pose a series of questions. Has a recent audit of the Hamilton Committee recommendations of 1990, a very good report on public safety and crowd control been carried out? What was the outcome of such an audit? The extraordinary picture which seems to be emerging is that there is a code of practice for sporting events and outdoor concerts, when held in sporting arenas, but there is no code of practice for indoor concerts. There is a clear need to develop such a code.
We must ask if a voluntary code of practice is enough or is it time to lay down a statutory framework? Do the Fire Safety Regulations, 1981, currently in place need to be updated and strengthened? What is the appropriate ratio of security personnel to numbers of customers attending such concerts? Were 110 security people enough for an attendance of 8,500, clearly not in the way they were deployed? Is there a clear line of responsibility during such concerts which can ensure that prompt action is taken if the situation escalates out of control as opposed to simply leaving such action to the performers on the night in question?
If the same configuration used at this concert is ever to be used again, we must clearly understand what went wrong on this occassion. If a crowd surge such as that which occurred on Saturday night can lead to death, what number of people can be permitted to stand in front of the stage during a concert? Stricter laws and procedures are necessary to deal with this evolving situation. The nature of public concerts is changing and can present special problems which impinge on safety. The Hamilton Committee considered that all major public concert promotions at indoor venues should require a special individual licence from the District Court and this should apply to all concerts where the audience exceeds 2,000. Is it time to bring this into effect? A number of further recommendations were made with regard to crowd pressure at the front of the stage. These included suggestions that consideration should be given to the padding of barriers to prevent injuries from pressure on individuals and to curved barriers with areas for overspill at each end. What has happened to these recommendations?
An adequate technical code of practice for front of stage barriers must also be considered and implemented. There must also be clear guidelines and rules for use of public address systems for emergency announcements during pop concerts. These are some of the urgent questions which must be answered in the light of this tragedy.
I sympathise with the family of the late Bernadette O'Brien in Shanagarry, County Cork.
It is clear that security inside the hall at the Point Depot was not effective. The crowd of 8,000 people was largely composed of teenagers between ten and 18 years of age. Security was lax. Teenagers sitting on the ground in the upstairs lobby were completely ignored by security. Alcohol and cigarettes were readily available to everyone in attendance. The main hall area was seriously overcrowded, with little or no security in place. There was a free for all and the event became a shambles.
I request that new legislation to deal with safety at rock concerts be put in place, as suggested by the Chief Fire Officers' Association. I support the call made by the National Parents' Association that the serving of alcoholic drinks to people under 18 years of age at rock concerts should be banned. We are now in the rock concert season and the Government should take these suggestions on board as a matter of urgency.
This tragedy begs the question of whether the Point Depot, or any hall or concert area, is adequately equipped to cater for people attending concerts given by such musical groups as the Smashing Pumpkins. Is a permanent hall such as the Point Depot which hosted a concert by the New Zealand opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa an appropriate venue for a concert by a group such as the Smashing Pumpkins who encourage their young audience to "mosh" and "crowd surf"? We were very lucky there was not another Stardust tragedy. All rock concerts should be banned from indoor arenas until the necessary legislation or statutory measures are in place.
Bernadette O'Brien's tragic death could have been avoided. I have heard reports of other teenagers who attended the concert on Saturday night who experienced respiratory problems, bodily bruising and spinal injuries, which can be very serious for people of that age. I thank Deputy Fitzgerald for sharing time with me and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Allen, for his attendance.
I would like to begin by expressing sincere sympathy to the bereaved parents and family of the late Bernadette O'Brien of Shanagarry, County Cork. Bernadette died tragically at 17 years of age—apparently as a result of crush injuries received during a rock concert at the Point Depot in Dublin last Saturday night. I appreciate that expressions of sympathy, however genuine, offer little real comfort to the grief stricken family, relations, friends and schoolmates of Bernadette. It is horrific that attendance at a rock concert — an innocent pleasure safely enjoyed by thousands of young people every year— should have resulted in this shocking tragedy.
The holding of such concerts at the Point are already governed by a number of different legislative codes, involving the supervision of different aspects by the courts, the Garda, local authorities and the health boards. I understand that the Point Depot holds licences under the Public Health (Amendment) Act, 1890, in respect of music and singing an under the Public Dance Halls Act, 1935, in respect of dancing. Conditions attached to these licences are enforceable in the normal course by the Garda Síochána. I also understand that the Point Depot is required to be licensed under the Food Hygiene Regulations, 1950 to 1989, for the service of food, and under the Intoxicating Liquor Acts, 1924 to 1983, for the service of alcohol.
How then could such a tragedy happen? This is currently the subject of a number of investigations by the Garda Síochána, Dublin Corporation, the promoters of the concert and the owners of the Point Depot. A number of factors have been listed in the media as causing or contributing to this fatal accident——
Hysteria.
——but I do not wish to list them or comment on their possible contribution to this tragedy. To do so could prejudge the outcome of the investigations to which I referred and, furthermore, might prejudice the outcome of any civil or criminal proceedings which may result from the investigations or otherwise.
The question of public safety and crowd control was examined some years ago by a committee chaired by Mr. Justice Liam Hamilton. The committee made a series of recommendations in 1990 on all aspects of public safety and crowd control, following which the Department of Education published a code of practice for safety at outdoor pop concerts and other events in recent months. While the code was designed for outdoor events, it states clearly that the parameters for the good organisation of an indoor pop concert are basically similar to outdoor events. It has been reported that the promoters claim the concert in the Point Depot last Saturday was arranged in accordance with this code.
If the investigations show that there is a deficiency in either the existing legal provisions which govern any aspect of pop concerts or in the code of practice for safety at pop concerts published by the Department last January, the Government will not be found wanting in moving quickly to remedy any such deficiency. At the same time I must emphasise that, ultimately, primary responsibility for the safe running of concerts rests with the concert promoters and the venue owners. Those attending concerts must also ensure that their behaviour does not endanger the health and safety of others.