Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I give a very warm welcome to all our witnesses this evening. I thank them for taking the time to come before us.

Everybody here is aware that I am more partial to the League of Ireland than to the GAA because of my own connections and work outside of politics. I will start with some commentary on that. It is great to have Mr. Scanlon and LOITV here. It is something I became very familiar with through my own role with Drogheda United FC. I have seen LOITV grow and evolve from something very small five years ago to something really crucial for our fan experience. It covers a multitude of different viewers, including vulnerable fans who cannot attend games for whatever reason, such as ill-health, sickness, personal or work commitments or whatever it may be. Fans may also be unable to attend due to the fact that many of the stadia throughout the country sell out on a weekly basis due to the unprecedented support the League of Ireland is getting at the moment. It has been growing in recent years. A service such as this one is really crucial to the continued evolution of the game. It is great to have LOITV before the committee in order to inform those who might not be so au fait with its benefits.

On a personal level, I have watched partnerships grow through our local radio stations and volunteers commenting on LOITV on a weekly basis. I have seen first hand the opportunities that LOITV affords people in our community and volunteers in all of our clubs. We all know that our volunteers are the heartbeat of League of Ireland clubs throughout the country. I am a huge supporter of the service. Long may it continue to grow.

I have a couple of questions. First, I want to ask about the impact a streaming levy might have on LOITV. I note Mr. Scanlon has urged caution on a couple of parts of it in his opening statement. How would it impact LOITV directly if a streaming levy were initiated tomorrow?