SOUTH Belfast MLA Deirdre Hargey has written to the Justice and Health ministers amidst concern over safety at Boucher Road concerts.
Ms Hargey has contacted the ministers in the wake of the death of two young people after the Emerge festival in August.
Trae Keenan (24), from Newcastle, County Down, fell ill in rented accommodation in South Belfast in the early hours of Sunday, August 24, and later died in hospital. He had attended the Emerge music festival just hours earlier.
That same Sunday, Mia Keevan (17) from Tipperary passed away in hospital after becoming unwell at the Boucher event.
Deirdre Hargey MLA said: “It is important that statutory agencies are open in communication around safety with the public.
"I have written to the Justice and Health ministers to ask them is there more that can be done to improve safety at our events.
"Last Friday evening, I was out with Ogra Sinn Féin activists giving out anti-spiking kits and chatting to those attending the concert.
"This is a fantastic initiative led by young people and we need more statutory provision for harm reduction measures.”
Anti-spiking kits were handed out to festival-goers
Sinn Féin Councillor Natasha Brennan said: “Safety at our events is paramount. It is important we have conversations around harm reduction measures and ensure our large events in Belfast are working to the highest standard.
"This is the responsibility of a range of agencies and the promoter, including Belfast City Council, and I am glad that Council will be leading on convening these conversations and looking at best practice around harm reduction around the world.
"We need to have the full information on the impact of these measures and have experts involved in these conversations to support us in how we move forward.”
