Mr. Páraic Duffy:

With regard to what is in it for the clubs from their perspective if each of the 2,000 clubs received €1,000 each it would amount to €2 million. Some clubs would welcome the €1,000 but for others it would make very little difference. With regard to supporting our clubs we ran a national draw on St. Patrick's day. The GAA at national level provided all of the prizes and made all of the arrangements. All the clubs had to do was sell tickets and keep the money. It raised €2.5 million for the clubs. This money went directly to them and they had no costs. No money was sent back to Croke Park. We are concerned about our clubs.

At the most recent meeting of the management committee we decided, because we had increased our income from this revenue, to return more than €500,000 to all of the clubs. We returned all of the membership fees they paid last year, which was €1 or €2 per member. These cheques will issue in the coming weeks. We are very concerned about putting money into our clubs. As the uachtarán stated earlier we must use all of our income across the board as best we can for the association and we will continue to do so.

To answer Deputy O'Donovan's question on consultation these are commercial arrangements. In January, the uachtarán and I, having decided on a strategy, went to the management committee comprising 15 people, including four provincial chairmen, a representative from each province from central council and a number of external people appointed to the board. We explained to them where we were in the negotiations and our aspirations and we got approval to go ahead. It was not a question of two people deciding this is what we would do; we obtained the approval of the elected and appointed management committee which runs the association from year to year. I am sure the issue will be debated at congress and central council and I am sure not everybody will agree, but from the feedback the uachtarán and I have received to date I am confident the overwhelming majority of the membership is supportive of what we have done and what we are trying to achieve. I want to make it very clear it was done with the blessing of the management committee as it was a very valid question.

Deputy O'Donovan also made a point about Melbourne. We are making 45 games available free to air and this is as good as it can be. We want to maintain this because we feel a huge responsibility. Many of the people who have gone to Australia are young people who were playing or attending our games before they went. We felt a huge responsibility towards this group in particular. We are not doing this for the money. We are making 45 games available free to air on Channel 7. It is fantastic for us and for the emigrants and we will try to maintain it.

Concerns about the future have been raised. I understand them and they are valid. A total of 16 of our 18 big games are still free to air. We want to maintain a balance. Mr. O'Neill and I examined this very carefully throughout the negotiations and we believe we have a balance. Almost all of the big games are available. With regard to the future, the model is that this year, as well as Sky showing its own 14 games, in simulcast with RTE it will show two all-Ireland finals, two football semi-finals and two hurling semi-finals. There is room to develop the simulcast in future. If the number of games is increased I hope it can be done on this basis. We are determined to maintain the balance.

TV3 was disappointed to lose the rights. We had a very good relationship with it in recent years. It is a very professional organisation. I have spoken to Mr. David McRedmond several times since and I am confident we will have a relationship with TV3 again. It is important to us.

I know of Senator Coghlan's long interest in the GAA and I knew his father as chairman of Bord Lúthchleas na hÉireann, BLE. Senator Coghlan made a very good point on spreading the sports. We are giving people across the board the chance to see our games. The uachtarán made the point earlier that anyone who sees hurling loves the game and that people in Australia identify easily with Gaelic football because of the Aussie rules game.

It is important to make the point that 14 games is five more than last year, so with regard to losing free-to-air games it is a net loss of nine games. There will be no issues with regard to scheduling games and this is clearly understood by Sky and ourselves. We have no intention of playing games Wednesday, Thursday or Friday evenings for the reasons the Senator gave and I will not dwell on it. As far as advertising revenue is concerned Sky will pay us a fee for the games and we are not involved in that side of it.