Plans to ban buskers from Temple Bar have been deleted from draft bylaws by Dublin City council.
Councillors have approved the publication of draft bylaws that will for the first time regulate street performances in the city.
The bylaws, which will be be available for public consultation from today, would require buskers to buy annual permits to perform on the city’s streets and would set time limits on performances as well as banning the use of knives, swords, saws, axes and flames.
Performers However, following a proposal by Labour councillor Andrew Montague, councillors voted to remove the proposed ban on busking in Temple Bar from the draft bylaws.Several councillors raised concerns about the exclusion of performers from Temple Bar.
Michael O’Brien of the Anti-Austerity Alliance said it was ironic buskers would be banned from the area when “superpubs are pumping music into the street”. People Before Profit councillor Tina MacVeigh said busking added character to Temple Bar.
However, Independent councillor Mannix Flynn said residents had left Temple Bar because of the noise and Independent councillor Ruairí McGinley pointed out that more than 2,000 people lived in Temple Bar and couldn’t get a night’s sleep because of busking.
Annual permit Under the proposed new bylaws all performers will have to get an annual permit costing €30. Those wanting to use amplifiers will have to pay an additional €60. Busking will be allowed Temple Bar but not in front of the GPO on O'Connell Street.
In all other areas busking will be allowed between 9am and 11pm, except on Grafton Street, where it will be allowed until 1am on Saturdays and Sundays.
Performers can only stay in one spot for two hours only and must move at least 250m metres away if they want to continue performing. They can’t return to the same place twice in 24 hours. Performers face fines of €1,500 if they break the bylaws.
The public consultation process will continue for the next six weeks, after which a report on any any submissions will be brought to councillors, who can make amendments to the bylaws.
Councillors will be asked to approve the final version of the bylaws next February.
