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Paul O'Meara, 13 Jun
Kildare County Council has rejected a call for fan zones - public
gatherings for supporters- for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup and
Rugby World Cup.
The call was made by Cllr Kevin Duffy, who called on the council to
explore the option of setting up three zones - in the north, south and
middle of the county - “to support our women’s and men’s national
teams.”
He said this would encourage participation in sport and generate
economic opportunities for the area.
He also said it would also enhance the commitment to gender equality
and create employment in the hospitality industry.
Read more Kildare news
But KCC official Marian Higgins said that while KCC is very committed
to women in sport the logistics of opening fan zones are “quite
extensive.”
She said the issues included observing health and safety regulations as
well as ensuring that enough marshals would be deployed to the venues.
Ms Higgins added: “Three would be a substantial ask.”
She added: “The scale, logistics and time required to organise such
events requires significant staffing and resources. While KCC realises
the benefits of fan zone areas, it is more suited to event management
companies in conjunction with the associated national governing bodies
to develop and promote (these).”