Sir, – I see from Olivia Kelly's report on proposed new bylaws on busking in Dublin's city centre that several changes to the styles of performance are being considered ("Barred from Temple bar but buskers may get late reprieve on Grafton Street", October 28th). There is one change which could be introduced which would improve the quality of the city-centre shopping experience for everyone – a ban on the use of amplifiers and loudspeakers. The city's general traffic noise is quite loud and in some areas buskers may feel obliged to use amplification if they wish their performance to be heard, but in the pedestrianised areas of Grafton Street, Temple Bar and Henry Street there is no good reason for the use of loudspeakers – other than to drown out the busker up the street!
A reduction in the noise level would actually mean that more buskers could perform along a given street without interfering with each other’s performances. – Yours, etc,
TONY McCOY O’GRADY,
Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.