Senator Michael Fahy, the Minister for Home Affairs, has defended Bermuda Festival organisers after the event came under attack this week from the union representing entertainers.

The Bermuda Entertainment Union branded the festival’s decision to use 92 foreign entertainers and four locals for big performances as “a travesty and an insult” to the Island’s entertainment industry.

But Sen Fahy rejected the claim, adding that the Bermuda Tourism Authority arranged for local entertainers to play on visiting cruise ships last year.

“There is nothing wrong with what the Bermuda Festival has done,” Sen Fahy said.

“In my view, there are many existing opportunities for local entertainment and, indeed, there is nothing preventing the BEU from staging their own festival comprising strictly of local acts.”

Sen Fahy maintained that the BEU had been consulted while new immigration rules were formulated and that local entertainers had “nothing to fear” from the policy, which comes into effect on March 1.

He also defended a decision that means the Department of Immigration will no longer assist in collecting “travellers dues” for the BEU.

“It remains unclear what the ‘travellers’ dues are used for since the BEU constitution says that their scholarship fund shall not exceed 10 per cent of the BEU budget without a general membership vote,” he said. “Those paying have raised numerous queries about what the fees are in fact used for.”

Sen Fahy added: “Good local entertainers are often busy and booked. As such when, for example, a wedding party wishes to stay in Bermuda and bring their favourite entertainer and have booked half a hotel, the answer is obvious.

“In my dozens and dozens of discussions with restaurateurs, hoteliers, bar owners and entertainment venues, there is a clear desire to hire good Bermudian entertainers at a reasonable rate.

“It is very apparent indeed that good Bermudian entertainers get hired. Employers don’t like having to go through advertising and work permit processes; it costs them money.

“If the BEU wishes to collect traveller’s dues from visiting entertainers, they are welcome to do so.”

Under existing policy, entertainers could be granted a seasonal permit of nine months. Under the new policy, this has been reduced to eight months.

Under existing policy, local entertainers should, if available, get equal time to perform as that of a work permit-holder.

“The BEU has admitted that this rarely happens, since, in the vast majority of cases, local entertainers are not available and/or don’t play the genre of music being requested by the local establishment,” Sen Fahy said.

“Surely, if you go to hear Irish jig music on St Patrick’s Day at a local pub, you are not there to listen to a jazz saxophonist.

“The new policy corrects this anomaly. If there is a qualified available Bermudian entertainer that plays Irish jig music, then a work permit would not be issued.

“The new policy is clear that such positions must be advertised in the usual way. However, for large commercial entertainment venues, it is expected that qualified local entertainment should feature if available. If not, no work permit shall be issued.”