Ticket touting still fleecing fans despite legal crackdown – Clendennen

A Fine Gael TD has expressed serious concerns regarding the continued reselling of tickets for popular sporting and cultural events at prices far above their face value.

Deputy John Clendennen has said that despite the introduction of legislation to ban the practice of reselling tickets above their face value, ticket touting is still prevalent.

The Offaly TD said tickets for this weekend’s crunch Six Nations rugby clash between Ireland and Scotland at the Aviva are for sale online for exorbitant prices.

The Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act 2021 was brought into force to protect consumers and ensure fair access to popular events by limiting the resale of tickets above their face value. However, tickets for many high-demand concerts, matches and cultural events are still widely available on resale platforms at significantly inflated prices.

Deputy Clendennen said: “Ireland is due to take on Scotland in a rugby international this Saturday in the Aviva. A quick scout on various websites show tickets available from an eye-watering €3072, to €217.34[1]. These tickets originally went on sale from as little as €60[i], with premium tickets priced from €185.

“This is blatant price-gouging and raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of the legislation and the level of enforcement.

“Tickets for major sporting and cultural events should be accessible to ordinary fans and families, not snapped up and resold at hugely inflated prices by opportunistic touts,” he said.

“The intention behind the 2021 Act was clear, to ensure fairness and transparency in the ticket market and to protect customers from being exploited.”

Deputy Clendennen said that while the legislation provides the necessary framework to address ticket touting, its effectiveness ultimately depends on robust enforcement.

[1] Buy Ireland vs Scotland – Six Nations 2026 Tickets – 14 Mar 2026

[i] Irish Rugby | Tickets