Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I mentioned to someone on the way in here that it is a sad situation that has developed but that the people who feel disenfranchised are blaming RTE for the deal. They forget that it was the decision of Croke Park. I recall being a member of the committee at the time the deal was done. We brought the GAA in here and it was at pains to make the point that it was really about extending the reach of the games to the UK market and beyond. It has not transpired like that. I receive letters, emails and calls from people who say it is entirely unfair for elderly people who do not enjoy watching matches in pubs and do not have access to Sky. We hear of people in their late 70s and early 80s who are immobile and, in some cases, confined to wheelchairs, who love the Gaelic games and who like to see their counties play. Sadly, it was a very retrograde step taken by the GAA, in my view, aimed solely at generating increased profits at a time when Gaelic games were seeing a resurgence, generating much more revenue through additional deals. It was a step too far. I hope we have the GAA back before the committee in advance of the next round of negotiations. Perhaps the committee could undertake to facilitate this in due course. The GAA should, recognising its current position, seek to ensure that all games are available through RTE. This would further add to the expectation of Irish viewers about what public service broadcasting is and an organisation such as the GAA should play its role in that regard. It still will not change the outcome of the match between Clare and Cork at the weekend, but perhaps there are times when one would not want to see that.