The success of any public event depends not only on planning or creativity but on effective collaboration between the multiple stakeholders involved. Local authorities, statutory agencies, emergency services, event organisers, contractors, and community representatives each play a vital role. Yet in Ireland, the coordination between these actors remains inconsistent and often reactive. Re-imagining how the ecosystem collaborates is essential to building safer, more efficient, and future-ready events.

The Context: A Multi-Agency Landscape

Ireland’s events ecosystem spans multiple overlapping mandates. Event licensing involves local authorities (planning and outdoor event licences), An Garda Síochána (public order, crowd control), HSE (public health), Fire Services (emergency response), and occasionally the Environmental Protection Agency (noise, waste). While each agency performs its duties effectively, coordination between them can vary.

The Planning and Development (Licensing of Outdoor Events) Regulations 2025 require formal pre-application consultation between event organisers and local authorities, a positive step that codifies early engagement (Department of Housing, 2025). Yet, in practice, engagement levels differ across counties, and event organisers often face duplicated or conflicting requirements.

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has highlighted the need for “joined-up safety planning” at large events to ensure clarity of responsibilities and reduce gaps in command structures (HSA, 2024). In addition, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media’s Night-Time Economy Taskforce advocates for stronger multi-agency collaboration to enhance safety, accessibility and cultural vibrancy (Department of Tourism, 2023).

These findings collectively underscore a need for systemic, not ad-hoc, collaboration.

Why Collaboration Must Evolve

1. Fragmentation undermines efficiency
   When agencies and organisers operate in silos, communication breaks down, causing delays in approvals and uncertainty over who holds final authority.

2. Reactive engagement increases risk
   Stakeholder interaction often intensifies only when issues arise (e.g., weather disruption, public order), rather than being embedded throughout planning, delivery and debrief.

3. Inconsistent standards and interpretation
   Each local authority or statutory body may apply regulations differently, creating confusion for national or recurring event organisers.

4. Missed opportunities for innovation
   Without consistent collaboration, Ireland loses the chance to adopt international best practices or develop cross-sector innovations such as shared data platforms or unified safety frameworks.

5. Public confidence and accountability
   The public expects coordinated, transparent management of large gatherings. Fragmentation erodes trust, particularly following safety incidents elsewhere in Europe.

Towards a New Model of Collaboration

To build a resilient and efficient event-governance system, Ireland needs to move from transactional coordination to strategic collaboration. The following steps are key:

1. Establish a National Event Safety and Planning Advisory Group (NESAG)
   A multi-agency body bringing together local authorities, Garda Síochána, HSE, Fire Services, event industry representatives (led by EIAI), and academic experts. NESAG would:

   • Develop standardised national guidance and training frameworks.

   • Oversee a centralised event-permitting digital system.

   • Facilitate rapid information-sharing between agencies.

2. Implement shared digital infrastructure
   Building on government digital-transformation strategies (Department of Public Expenditure, 2025), a shared portal could connect all permitting bodies and track event progress in real time, ensuring visibility and accountability.

3. Mandate structured pre-event planning meetings
   Make multi-agency event planning and risk-assessment meetings mandatory for events above defined thresholds (e.g., > 2,000 attendees), with clear documentation and follow-up actions.

4. Adopt a shared risk-management framework
   Introduce a common risk matrix template across all agencies to harmonise risk categorisation and emergency-response coordination.

5. Promote continuous learning and debriefing
   Establish national post-event review mechanisms to capture lessons learned and disseminate best practice. This mirrors models used by the UK’s Safety Advisory Groups (SAGs), which provide valuable transparency and learning.

6. Encourage cross-sector training and simulation
   Develop joint simulation exercises and scenario planning (e.g., weather emergencies, crowd evacuations) to strengthen inter-agency relationships and preparedness.

7. Formalise community engagement channels
   Events affect local residents, businesses, and public spaces. Transparent communication and feedback mechanisms help balance social, environmental, and economic priorities.

Benefits of Stronger Collaboration

• Consistency: Shared frameworks eliminate interpretation gaps across local authorities.

• Speed: Early engagement accelerates decision-making and permitting.

• Trust: Regular dialogue builds relationships and accountability.

• Safety: Coordinated emergency and crowd-management protocols reduce risks.

• Professionalisation: A structured model raises Ireland’s international reputation for governance and compliance.

Conclusion

Effective collaboration is the cornerstone of a world-class events industry. Ireland has the expertise, goodwill and ambition to achieve it, but the structures must evolve. By formalising inter-agency coordination through a National Event Safety and Planning Advisory Group, shared data systems, and continuous learning, the country can set a new benchmark for how events are planned and delivered, safely, efficiently, and transparently. Collaboration is no longer optional; it is the foundation for Ireland’s future events success.

References

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (2025) Planning and Development (Licensing of Outdoor Events) Regulations 2025. Dublin: Government of Ireland. Available at: https://www.opr.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Planning-and-Development-Licensing-of-Outdoor-Events-%E2%80%93-PDA-2000-Regulations-2025-S.I.-No.-37-of-2025.pdf

Health and Safety Authority (HSA) (2024) Guidance on Managing Safety and Health at Outdoor Events. Dublin: HSA. Available at: https://www.hsa.ie/eng/publications_and_forms/publications/event_safety/guidance-on-managing-safety-and-health-at-outdoor-events.pdf

Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (2023) Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce. Dublin: Government of Ireland. Available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/4f021-report-of-the-night-time-economy-taskforce/

Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (2025) Digital Government Framework 2026. Dublin: Government of Ireland. Available at: https://www.digitalgovernment.ie/