Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 87:

In page 69, to delete lines 24 to 26 and substitute the following: “33. Section 114 of the Principal Act is amended in subsection (1)—

(a) in paragraph (a), by the substitution of “in full” for “in so far as it is reasonably practicable”, and

(b) in paragraph (h), by the substitution of “audiovisual on-demand media services to the whole community of the island of Ireland” for “non-broadcast non-linear audio-visual media services”.”.

I will speak to amendments Nos. 87 and 88. The Minister mentioned the island of Ireland in her previous contribution. RTÉ is the national broadcaster and it has an obligation to the whole of the nation and to the island. The legislation currently outlines how RTÉ has a duty to make its broadcasting services available to the whole community on the island of Ireland insofar as reasonably practicable.

Despite this provision, we regularly see geoblocking taking place for whole sections of our community north of the Border and the exclusion of people in those Six Counties from sporting coverage and even online competitions during matches of their own county teams. This compounds the offence felt there, as discussed yesterday, I understand, and over maps of Ireland being used by RTÉ where the North is essentially replaced by sea. This is not just deeply hurtful and exclusionary to the people of those Six Counties, whether they are Irish citizens or not, who want to enjoy and participate in RTÉ services and the momentous occasions the same people South of the Border have the opportunity to do. It also raises the question of how reasonably impracticable difficult is it to include them.