Mixed news for buskers after review of bye-laws

Dublin City Council has imposed a total ban on the use of backing tracks for busking in the city centre.

The measure, along with a partial ban on the use of any amplification in Temple Bar, was decided at a review of the Street Performers Bye-Laws to deal with the rising number of complaints regarding noise levels from buskers.

As of June 2016, over 700 complaints were made about buskers since new bye-laws regulating them were introduced in April 2015.

The new bye-laws will now ban any use of backing tracks by performers, who must also be able to play a repertoire of at least 30 minute to prevent repetition.

New amendments to these laws will also see dance troupes only being allowed to perform at the top of Grafton Street to prevent congestion, as well as a ban on “lewd, offensive or racist language” in song lyrics. A proposed total ban on amplification was not passed and this issue will be considered again next year.

Cllr Norma Sammon (FG) said she would have liked the partial ban on amplifiers to be expanded throughout the city.

“Whilst I support the ban in Temple Bar, which is great news for residents, I believe it does not go far enough and will push all those acts that use amplification to the busy shopping areas like Grafton Street and Henry Street,” she said. “This is not about stopping artists performing; it’s about making a compromise by reducing the level of noise so that homeowners and employees going about their day and people trying to run a business are considered too.” 

It’s believed that a total ban on amplification would prevent over half of Dublin’s street performers from working. 

The Dublin City Buskers’ group welcomed many of the amendments made to street performing laws, but also hopes that the ban on amplification in the Temple Bar Area will prevent it from being outlawed elsewhere in the city. 

“It is regrettable that Temple Bar residents were not more engaged in the forum on street performance coordinated by Dublin City Council, and it is hoped that this initiative will be welcomed as satisfactory, bearing in mind the significant deprival amounting to an amplifier ban in Temple Bar,” the group said.

REPORT: Daniel O’Connor