This month’s meeting of the Manorhamilton Municipal District of Leitrim County Council has heard that there is a major doubt over the future of several festivals which take place across the local region.
The long term future of these events are far from certain due to spiralling insurance costs for staging live events on streets in towns and villages in the counties of Leitrim, Sligo and Donegal.
Independent Councillor Felim Gurn told how some festivals have witnessed their insurance double in recent times.
He gave an example that the insurance cost for one event alone in Manorhamilton was 2,600 euro.
Cllr Gurn’s motion was supported by all the councillors at yesterday’s meeting with calls being made for the government to establish a non-profit making insurance company to cover such events.
The Independent councillor warned that the optics do not look for good councils to be providing funding for staging such events without providing assistance for insurance. He compared it to buying a car for a young driver and then not providing assistance with the insurance payments.
The Manorhamilton businessman is calling on the council to contact the Minister for tourism, Catherine Martin with the view of the government taking steps to provide assistance to committees when it comes to covering insurance costs.
