Organisers of the National Ploughing Championships are calling for clear decisions to be made about the future of live events and festivals.
The annual event has been called off again this year due to uncertainty about what COVID-19 restrictions will be in place in September.
The Ploughing Championships, which usually attract around 300,000 people, were due to take place in Co Laois.
It is estimated that around €50m will be lost to the economy as a result of their cancellation.
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said he is disappointed they have been called off and that he engaged closely with organisers.
However, the Assistant Managing Director of the NPA, Anna Marie McHugh, said that is a "smokescreen".
Speaking to The Hard Shoulder last night, Minister McConalogue said he spoke to Ms McHugh yesterday morning and told her they would know more in two to three weeks' time about whether the Championships could go ahead.
He added that given the scale of the event, a huge amount of preparation is required months in advance, which is why contact between the various Government departments began weeks ago.
A farmer competes during the National Ploughing Championships in 2018. Photo: Xinhua/Laura HuttonIn response, Ms McHugh told Newstalk Breakfast with Susan Keogh today that the National Ploughing Championships didn't become one of the biggest events in Europe "by not being able to move timelines"
"I was disappointed because the Minister gave a very clear smokescreen as far as I could see that it would all be sorted in two or three weeks if the NPA had just waited," she said.
"I think the Government missed a trick on this, I'm not saying they could have happened.
"We're still in a very volatile situation and the NPA never expected that we could get full clarity on where things are at or that we would have had a carte blanche to do what we wanted in September.
"But what we've been asking for since February is to just give us some information, what could it look like if we're at a certain stage.
Ms McHugh added that they were not asking the Minister to look into a crystal ball, but rather seeking advice on what kind of plans the Association should be coming up with.
'Talk to us' about plans
She added that she was not asked to contribute to a focus group set up by the Tourism Minister in March to assess a potential roadmap for the return of live events.
"What the Minister [for Agriculture] told me is that there would be more information in two to three weeks about how things would roll out in the summer but we still wouldn't be sure what would happen in September," she said.
"We knew that, but if we're only beginning to see information about ideas in three weeks' time, well it's only then we can start looking at our venue and our structure.
"There's been a constant call for months now from the events industry just to talk to us.
"The country is coming out of lockdown, it's brilliant and we're all delighted, but my reason for saying this is for the other gigs that are supposed to happen this summer, just talk to them."
