John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming in. The reason for the meeting is to give them an opportunity to explain the rationale behind the deal and it gives members the opportunity to convey the concerns heard on the ground when it was announced. There was initial surprise and emotion but today's meeting gives us the chance to tease out the issue. The reaction of some was as if all games had been taken away from free-to-air broadcasting, which is not true as the witnesses have explained. Sometimes the facts get lost in this and the Government is blamed for many things. It was blamed for this deal but, for anyone who does not understand, it is a deal between the GAA and the broadcasters.

The 45 games that are free-to-air in Australia is a welcome development. Could that have been made possible in another way without linking up with Sky? With regard to the RTE digital deal, whereby people can access games on laptops and computers, is it free or will people pay subscriptions? The presentation referred to a concern I have heard, that in three years' time more games will be taken away from free-to-air and given to Sky. Since the deal was announced, there was speculation within the GAA, with the suggestion from Peter McKenna that there will be some negotiation with Sky in respect of deals for clubs getting discounts on subscriptions.