Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Again, in the case the Deputy is referencing, it is the sporting organisation, not RTÉ, that is the one allocating the rights on a territorial basis. It is not RTÉ, it is the actual sporting organisation, which in this case was the GAA. It is not RTÉ.

Amendment No. 88 seeks to change the requirement on RTÉ to make available a national television and sound broadcasting service to Irish communities outside the island of Ireland “in so far as RTÉ considers reasonably practicable” to a requirement to make it available “in full, unless limited by factors beyond the control of RTÉ”. I do not see this amendment as materially changing the obligation already on RTÉ, as any limitation on RTÉ’s provision of services to Irish communities outside the island of Ireland arise almost exclusively from factors beyond the control of RTÉ. The purpose of the present provision is so that RTÉ can ascertain those limits and work within them to provide its services on the widest possible basis.