The Bee Gees' decision to play in Dublin over the weekend illustrated its attractiveness as a centre for music, the promoter of the pop group's concert in Ireland said yesterday. Mr Jim Aiken, of Concert Promotions, was speaking after the launch of Raising the Volume Policies to Expand the Irish Music Industry, a submission for Government prepared by the IBEC-affiliated Music Industry Group.

Mr Aiken said that ticket sales for last Saturday's RDS event had generated £1.25 million in revenue, while £2.5 million had been generated at the open air Slane Castle concert.

Mr Tommy McCabe, director of the group, called for similar tax incentives as were introduced for the film industry to be made available to the £160 million music business. He said that Irish music was a bigger revenue spinner for the country in some foreign markets than the tourism or food industries. "The development of an Irish music brand should be considered."

Mr McCabe called for the introduction of incentives for sponsorship deals, increased funding from Enterprise Ireland and the marketing of music festivals by Bord Failte as strategies to promote the industry.

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