Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

That was continued with a lengthy meeting I had with the IRFU in November in which it set out its case followed by written correspondence. There has been extensive consultation and there will continue to be. I have met its representatives subsequently as part of this next phase and I look forward to talking to them further. This is what one does in a consultation phase. One listens, talks and makes one's case sharing one's views and arguments. If Deputies opposite have those, I am very interested and willing to hear them. We should be asking if these matches are of cultural significance. Is there a special importance in watching the Irish team or one's province? Is it better for sport in the long run to have a large fan base and audience or a smaller one? That is an issue we should be debating.

Let us get into the details of the broadcast rights and revenues. As it is entitled to do the IRFU has stated it would lose €12 million. However, is that on the basis that one could not see the Irish team except on a pay-per-view basis? As I see it, that is the case because the vast majority of broadcasting rights currently come from watching the Irish team in the Six-Nations matches. Do we agree with that? Do we want Ireland's matches to be on free-to-air television or not? Those are the detailed debates we should have here to aid the process. The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport will not engage in the process in writing to me. We will engage in the way that is set out in the law as part of the process. It is a separate part of the consultation and one that goes on within Government as set out legally.

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