Touting is “the way of the world,” and part of sporting culture says Dublin City Councillor.

Reports of matchday tickets for the Manchester United v Leeds United match resold for seven times their original price have left Government TDs calling for stricter enforcement of anti-touting laws.

John Clendennen, Fine Gael TD for Offaly, has called for gardaí to be given increased powers to combat touting.

However, speaking on The Hard Shoulder, independent Dublin City Councillor Mannix Flynn said that ticket touting is not a serious issue for live events.

Cllr. Flynn, who represents Dublin’s South East Inner City, dismissed calls for larger Garda presence at events, and said he believed gardaí are not overly concerned with touting offences.

He said that gardaí do operate undercover at events and have arrested people for breaching anti-touting laws but that offenders are typically not part of organised crime gangs.

‘Law is not meaningless’

Despite acknowledging the popularity of reselling tickets at inflated rates at events, Cllr. Flynn said the law is not meaningless.

He argued the legislation prevents ticket touting at a large scale and that it gives gardaí the option to take action against touting if they see fit.

Cllr. Flynn said, however, that the main use of the legislation is to protect both artists and venues, with venues hiring private detectives and police to combat touting.

“It’s the world we live in.”

Cllr. Flynn argued that as we live in a “free economy,” people should be able to buy and sell what they like for whatever price they see fit.

He said he believed similar views were prevalent in America, where inflated prices are often accepted if customers are willing to pay.

He recounted “hysteria” surrounding the release of Cabbage Patch Dolls in America where people offered large sums of money to secure toys.