Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the ard-stiúrthóir and the uachtarán Cumann Lúthchleas Gael. It is welcome for us to air this issue and, like Deputy Timmy Dooley, I acknowledge the contribution of the GAA for generations to Irish society in the development of national games and Irish culture. I am a lifelong supporter of the GAA and a member, former player, administrator and chairman of a club that is over 102 years old. That club does not have fancy bar facilities; we purely have playing facilities, a hurling wall and dressing rooms. Having said that, I would not categorise myself as a cynic; I am a genuine GAA supporter who wants to see the organisation doing well. The delegation should welcome genuine concerns being expressed by the membership which may not have an opportunity to express them at their level. The GAA is a democratic organisation after all.

The delegates have outlined the priorities behind this decision and argued that it will facilitate games being broadcast to the Irish diaspora, which is a laudable objective that should be supported. Like Deputy Timmy Dooley, I am concerned about how the decision was reached to do a deal with Sky pay-per-view channels. Did the GAA actively pursue the BBC or Channel 4, for example, in order to provide coverages of games free to air in Britain? Were documents merely sent and was it up to the broadcasters to show an interest? Were there incentives to show games in Britain on a free-to-air system? I am chairman of a local club and want to see this system working. If I am wrong to raise my concerns, I will admit it. When concerns were raised about jersey sponsorship, corporate boxes in Croke Park and live television broadcasting of matches, I supported the GAA's actions. This time there seems to be a fundamental shift from the core ethos of the GAA, as it is the first time subscription services will be used.

I raise these concerns for a number of reasons. Deputy Timmy Dooley mentioned the 80 year old club stalwart; we all have such examples in our clubs. Such persons typically do not have Sky subscriptions and do not want to go to the pub; as such they will be disenfranchised. The GAA must accept this. More games are being broadcast and there will probably be further chances to see a match, but if a supporter's county is playing in a qualifier or a quarter final, he or she may be disenfranchised as he or she will not be able to see the match, despite looking forward to it. It is a credit to the GAA that it has progressed so much during the years in having matches covered live on television.

There are also the expectations of players. The GAA has argued that this is not a financial decision and although this may not be of major financial benefit to the GAA, we must be very careful. The Gaelic Players Association has handled the issue very well with the GAA, but players are a product for a very beautiful game; therefore, will the expectation of payment arise in the future because television rights are being sold and people are paying to watch matches? What will the GAA do to manage that expectation?

The delegates know that volunteers in GAA clubs raise funds weekly to keep clubs going. Despite the perception that the GAA has plenty of money, the delegates know that on the ground clubs do not have plenty of money and that people work very hard to keep them going and provide excellent facilities. There is a perception - it may just be that - among the GAA supporting public that the organisation now has plenty of money; therefore, clubs will find it a little harder to sell the weekly lotto ticket and county draw ticket to keep going. As there could be consequences, has the GAA considered the possibilities?

The GAA has publicly stated any money derived from this process will go back to the clubs. How will this happen? Will it be given to county boards, allocated through grant schemes or other methods? I am not a cynic, but I have genuine concerns. I will be the first to put up my hand and say I was wrong if it turns out that way. The GAA is a progressive organisation which deserves great credit for the stand it has taken during the years when various challenges were presented. Croke Park was improved at a time when it was very difficult for the organisation to progress, but it has seen the rewards; therefore, it deserves all the credit it gets. As a GAA supporter, I have genuine concerns about this fundamental shift and would like to be reassured by the delegation.