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CONCERTGOERS HAVE COMPLAINED of feeling ripped off after they couldn’t get back a €3 deposit for plastic cups used to serve €7.50 pints at a Dublin gig last weekend – bringing the total cost of a drink to €10.50.
The events company operating the bar at British post-punk band The The’s gig at Collins Barracks on Sunday night said it will continue to “adapt” its “eco cup” system, but emphasised that the rules of the system were well signposted at the venue.
It added that it was “very satisfying” to see how clean the venue was as guests departed.
Concertgoers had to keep their receipts if they paid in cash, and if drinks were bought with card the same card had to be presented to obtain the refund.
One fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that he was told if he did not have a receipt for the purchase, the vendors could not issue a refund.
Another concert-goer, who bought a round in cash, told The Journal he was not told about the requirement to keep his receipt.
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Follow Fox Events, the bar operator, said it operated its deposit return scheme at a “substantial cost” and said the scheme was “not a revenue source”.
The concertgoer who spoke to The Journal said: “While we were informed at the start that a refund mechanism applied, we were never notified of the ridiculous rules to actually receive the refund.”
“Most people simply left after the concert and didn’t seek a refund – likely because most purchases were completed by people just “tapping” cards. It seemed like a total rip-off to me.”
Follow Fox Events told The Journal: “Signs are posted at the entry to the queues and on the counter where guests place orders – guests are informed by staff of the deposit scheme when paying for their first beverages, and the deposit return system is explained.
“We do appreciate that, on occasion, messaging around returns may be overlooked, as guests are focused on their night rather than new environmental policies.
It added: “We are constantly monitoring the eco cup situation and will continue to adapt to further recommendations.”
Tickets for the gig were priced from €65.70, excluding a booking fee for Ticketmaster.
Despite some disappointment around the cost of drinks, fans posted on social media that The The did not disappoint.
The practice of requiring the payment of deposits for cups has been used to reduce plastic waste in recent years at concerts, festivals and football matches. At the Euro 2024 championships, German stadiums charged a €3 fee for the use of plastic cups during the Euro 2024 championships.
In many cases – including the government’s Re-Turn scheme for plastic bottles and aluminium and steel cans – no receipt is needed. Some football fans took advantage of this at the Euros by collecting unreturned cups at the end of matches and cashing in at vendors.
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Another quango. How many more than the 600 Enda Kenny said we had do we have now. They all have a CEO and to justify them, lots of underlings.
We as taxpayers are paying for this and nothing improves. More jobs for the boys/girls.
@Ciaran O’Mara: Are you saying that all the elections we have had were corrupt? If so, this is not going to solve it. It has been created by the corrupt.
If so, the fellow heading it, has been inside the tent a long time.
@P.J. Nolan: Replace what? We never had one and unless all the past elections were corrupt, it will add nothing. Just more cost.
He said ‘we don’t really know what the turnout rate is.’. Yes we do, if anyone follows the counts and I do, they show the total poll and turnout etc. for every constituency. This guy is making it up. He also said ‘We need to understand why people vote the way they do’ Why?
@Donal Ronan: when he refers to turnout, maybe he wants to include non registered voters in the rate. Agreed on his quote about “needing to understand why people vote the way they do” – strange thing to say – I’d like to see more context. And just because previous elections were fair doesn’t mean that future one will be, so it’s necessarily just a cost adding measure
Does anyone at the Journal want to be an actual “journalist”? How about interviewing some of our main politicians and asking pertinent questions and not letting them away with the usual non answers? Seriously, have any of you any pride in your work? And then you’re asking for donations???
@Mike: Dont think its breaking news to know most of the supposed unbiased journalists are very much biased and in the back pockets of the political mob
@Mike: Are you a wannabe journalist Mike or just a sniper from the sidelines? The Journal gives us the 9 at 9, the 5 at 5 and ‘what happened today’ every day with a link to a short accurate report on the story. They are journalists who can take pride in their work as this is exactly why they are the main source of news for many every day. The Journal also does Factchecks; Newsworthy investigations and in depth interviews with politicians from time to time. The recent one with long serving & retiring government TD Fergus O’Dowd included very pertinent questions & answers, Mike. It asks readers who can provide any financial support to the Journal to do so, in order to keep it free to all rather than introducing a pay wall. Btw I have no financial or family or friends links with The Journal!
Just to clarify folks – the main tasks of government are ;
- to set up lots of quangos with no meaningful powers
- to do zero planning around the fact that our population has been increasing for 30 years. This not enough school places hospital beds or houses
- to ignore the 80 percent of population who think we’ve taken in enough refugees & asylum seekers
- to give the civil servants a regular pay rise with zero in return
It’s all about priorities
So another new quango ( the ” electoral authority”) announced on same day as Helen mc enteee announces her latest quango ( ” cuan”) ……. you couldn’t make it up
@Ken Mc Carthy: You are making it up – the commission was launched months ago and was responsible for the constituency boundary report published in August.
@SYaxJ2Ts: In fairness though Kevin he does stand out like a troll, the person operating his and scores of other trolls on the Journal has little imagination, you can tell them a mile away because they all have the same personality their writing style is exactly the same.
What do you think?
This upcoming referendum must be a 100% no on both counts. If anyone has an hour to spare go and read the fine detail, it’s an absolute giveaway for refugees and leaves Irish people screwed for housing.
@Thomas Reddy: You should do some research into how right wingers use referendums to pitch fear and lies in an effort to bring American style culture wars here. This has the side benefit of allowing our local extremists to con their gullible fellow travellers in the US out of lots of cash.
@Kilkenny Proud: What is your actual point? You’re ranting against every comment, yet saying nothing. Say clearly what you think should happen politically in this country. I am genuinely curious. Instead of telling everyone how little they know, tell us now what it is that you know….
@Mike: What is your actual point? You are ranting about my comments, yet saying nothing. Say clearly what you think should happen politically in this country. I am genuinely not curious. Instead of telling me to solve the country’s problems maybe you could share your opinions on the actual issues instead of focusing on me.
@Kilkenny Proud: I asked you a clear question. You are deflecting and showing your lack of direction and intellect. Answer the original question or else fk off.
@Kilkenny Proud: I don’t live in the US and couldn’t give a toss about it or the so called can’t be seen right wing. If this referendum passes with a yea vote it’ll bring years of hardship and many many more racist attacks from both sides into Ireland. It’s what you call a Wolve in sheep’s clothing.
When can we have a referendum to change are justice system and tougher prison sentences. That the Government can sack Judges. That we have a say on the laws on immigrants that their checked out and if criminal records deported or receive one deported with immediate effect.
@Paddy Geoghegan: No, we need to keep the seperation between government and judges (not that the current system for appointing judges is great). We are still waiting for the reform of the legal system that was part of the Trioka bailout agreement,although the government don’t seem to want to touch this issue as it’s already cost a few Justice ministers.Their attitude seems to be to bury the issue and just bring in laws around “in vogue” issues.
Building an organisation for the next 100 years, careful you done make a mess of the country like the main ruling political party’s have done for the last 100 years.
Billions of euros in debt, a broken health service, not enough houses for the population and 13,000 of our citizens without a place to call home, some living on the streets of town and city’s in 2024.
It’s a sad reflection on the main ruling political party’s of the last 100 years.
I wish Limerick well with its directly elected mayor.
I hope Dublin gets same soon – the city is screaming for someone to run it who actually cares.
Local democracy is something our country could seriously do with a lot more of – not least if we are to create a new United Ireland in the very possibly near future
@Gerry Kelly: Agreed, however it will only work if there is more local revenue raising streams, if not, it’s just another person going begging to central government for funds.
It’s a little disappointing that a brand new commission , it’s 2024 , and in the first article I’m reading about it they are talking about printing millions of colour booklets of explanation – surely to his a new commission could look at best practice globally , ascertain what segments of the community such as older and less digitally connected people who may need to get costly printed booklets – a fraction of the overall country – and perhaps love the country along into the digital age in a more appropriate cost effective way at the very least to avoid the perception this is just another quango wasting millions on printing ffs
They’d want to hold an election fast and a vote of no confidence – not one of them is getting re elected unless this stops – it will be a house of independents joined in will for the people
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