Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The famous Saorview list that comes with the Saorview box probably needs to be updated as it is a bit clunky. If we imagine that LOI 1 and 2, GAA 1 and 2 and all those games were available on Saorview, the advertising capacity if that would generate other potential revenues because those games would obviously have a massive audience. That is just a thought.

As many members have said, the piracy issue is not going away any time soon. It is a global issue. Technology is disintermediating the old system of paying for Sky Sports and everything else. By the way, if a solution is found, it too will be disintermediated by somebody within five minutes. We have to find a different model. If that model is the one I outlined or some variation thereof, where other revenue would be generated from advertising and other means, that would potentially be the way to go, given that these games are culturally so important to us. I am just kicking off a conversation on this, rather than saying it has to be done that way but it could be a variation of that.

I agree with members that viability is a real and serious issue. From what I have heard today, and I think I am speaking on behalf of all members, what LOITV is providing, given the limitations facing it, is frankly incredible. There is criticism at times of fixtures and this and that, more so with the GAA than with the League of Ireland, but I am sure they both hear the same thing. I understand that criticism and I sometimes make judgements but leaving that aside, what is being performed here given the limitations is phenomenal. It is not sustainable, however. The committee needs to reflect on this. There is a lesson to be learned here as regards sustainability, how important this service is and how the State could possibly play a bigger role based on some variation of what I said.

Are there any final comments before we finish?