Two reports into Dublin’s St Patrick’s Festival, costing taxpayers almost €70,000, have not been fully released by a government department. The Office of the Information Commissioner upheld the department’s decision to withhold significant sections of both reports.
The festival is run by a registered charity and receives over 70pc of its annual €3.35m budget from state bodies such as the Department of Tourism and Fáilte Ireland.
The reports were commissioned to investigate concerns about the festival expanding beyond organising Dublin’s annual parade and issues with the charity’s governance.
One report noted that the charity’s former chief executive, Susan Kirby, proposed expanding the festival into a month-long celebration with opening and closing ceremonies. However, there were diverging views among board members about this strategy.
Fáilte Ireland and Dublin City Council disagreed with the expansion plan and expressed concern that the festival was stretching itself too thin.
The released parts of the reports highlighted the need to update the charity’s governance but did not reveal any serious irregularities.
The Information Commissioner ruled that releasing the reports in full could result in financial loss, harm the company’s reputation, and prejudice its competitive position.
The Department of Tourism says it is examining the reports and aims to complete the examination before the end of the year.
