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Licensing of Outdoor Events

Part XVI of the Planning & Development Act 2000 applies to events which take place:

• Wholly/mainly in the open air;
• In a structure with no roof or partial/temporary/ retractable roof;
• A tent;
• Which are comprised of music/ dancing/ displays of public entertainment or activity of like kind;
• With an audience in excess of 5,000 (in any one event).

The Act requires an applicant to:

1. Place a press notice in one local and one national newspaper within 2 weeks prior to making an application for license.
2. Lodge application with the Planning Authority within 16 weeks prior to the event.
3. Accompany their application with:

• Copy of Press Notice
• Written consent of the Landowner
• Draft Management Plan prepared in accordance with appropriate codes of practice
• Statutory €2,500 fee (event held for profit/gain)  

Local Authority required to consult with prescribed bodies (by furnishing copy to) and may consult with any other body as appropriate.  

Local Authority may request further information and cannot make a decision within 5 weeks.  During this 5 week period a copy of the application may be inspected during office hours at the public counter of the Planning Department.  A submission or observation may be made for which no fee applies. 

There is a duty of care on person granted licence and a duty on every person attending such events to conduct themselves (as far as reasonably practicable) to ensure that any person attending is not exposed to danger.

Please contact Joanna MacCarthy at the Planning Department for further information and to make an application.

Although a licence is not required for the holding of an event by a Local Authority, the following procedure applies:

• Place press notice in one local and one national newspaper.
• Consult (furnish copy to) with prescribed bodies.
• Draft Plan for management of the event/drawings available for public inspection (written submission within five weeks).
• Manager's report, on the details of the event and summarising the submissions received, to Council for consideration.
• Event may proceed after the expiry of 6 weeks unless Council vary/reject the proposal.  

Control of Funfairs

With specific reference to Planning & Development Act 2000, Part XVI, Sections 239 and 240 and the Planning & Development (Certification of Fairground Equipment) Regulations 2003: 

A person who intends to hold or organize a funfair shall give 2 working days notice, in writing, to the Local Authority (contact person:  Joanna MacCarthy, Staff Officer, Planning & Development); this notice should be accompanied by a valid certificate of safety for the fairground equipment to be used and state the name of the organiser(s), the owner(s) of the equipment and the location and dated on which the funfair is to be held. 

The Local authority may serve a notice for the immediate cessation of the use of any fairground equipment without a valid safety certificate. 

Class 37

In addition to the above, consideration must be given to Class 37 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001in respect of land used for any fair, funfair, bazaar or circus or any local event of a religious, cultural, educational, political, social, recreational or sporting character wherein it states: 

The land shall not be used for any such purposes either continuously for a period exceeding 15 days or occasionally for periods exceeding in aggregate 30 days in any year.