Fine Gael has published proposed legislation that makes it a criminal offence to sell or advertise tickets costs above face value for sporting and musical events.
Jimmy Deenihan, Fine Gael
The Prohibition of Ticket Touts Bill, put forward by Jimmy Deenihan, party spokesman on sports, suggests a maximum fine of €3,000 and or a six-month jail sentence.
The issue was highlighted recently when tickets for U2's third and final Dublin concert sold out within a few hours, with some then appearing for sale on the Internet for more than €550, nearly ten times the face value.
The 80,000 tickets cost between €59.50 and €80, including booking fee.
"At present, we have the unacceptable situation where genuine fans, mostly young people who may be unable to get tickets for sporting, theatre or music events, are easy targets," Mr Deenihan told ireland.com.
Mr Deenihan hopes the Bill will get a reading in the Dáil in June. It is a revised revision of legislation which was first proposed by Fine Gael in 1998.
"We introduced this proposed Bill in 1998 as a private members Bill. We were kept waiting while the Government sought advice from the Attorney General, but we never heard what that advice was."
"I hope the Government supports this document but if they decide that they want to bring forward their own legislation in the area that's fine with me, as long as it is dealt with."
Referring to the mark-up being sought on the U2 tickets, Mr Deenihan admitted there were difficulties in trying to regulate websites outside the State. "That is why we need legislation at EU and international level. This proposed Bill would only apply to Irish-based websites."
He added that many other countries including Britain and the US have recently introduced legislation curbing the activities of touts.
The legislation makes provision for the resale of tickets at face value by individuals who are no longer able to attend the event. It does permit charities or voluntary groups to sell donated tickets in excess of the face value to raise funds.
Mr Deenihan's Bill has the support of the GAA, the FAI and the IRFU and Ticketmaster.
