Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I move:

That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Broadcasting Act 2009 to recognise the duty of national public service broadcasters and Coimisiún na Meán to proactively make efforts to ensure equal access to national public broadcasting services across the whole community of the island of Ireland.

Imagine you are a proud parent living in Ireland and your child, who has dedicated his or her whole life to training and preparing to excel in his or her sport, is about to do Ireland proud at the Olympic Games or to line out for the county i bPáirc an Chrócaigh for an all-Ireland final. Imagine turning on RTÉ to see the news in the lead-up to the big day, to catch the excitement gripping the nation about your child's achievement and to watch the nation hold its breath. Imagine then your shame and anger when a blank screen appears and you are told that content is not available in your part of Ireland because, more than 100 years ago, the British drew a line across the country and, more than 100 years later, RTÉ imposes the same border.

My Sinn Féin colleague the MP for Newry and Armagh, Dáire Hughes, secured a U-turn from RTÉ in July of last year before Armagh athletes went on to win Olympic medals for Ireland and the Sam Maguire to boot, proving that RTÉ could have done more in the first instance. Ach níor stop sé sin RTÉ. Lean sé ar aghaidh ag scaradh amach na Sé Chontae go rialta. Le déanaí, ní raibh fáil ag daoine ar an gcluiche sacair idir Éire agus Lucsamburg ar an teilifís coicís ó shin, agus tarlaíonn sé go rialta nach féidir le daoine páirt a ghlacadh i gcomórtais RTÉ, nó gearrtar amach san iomlán iad ón léarscáil atá ann. On occasion, RTÉ even erases the Six Counties from the map of Ireland that it displays on its screens. RTÉ cannot erase the North of Ireland. Our Constitution is very clear: it is the entitlement and birthright of every person born on the island of Ireland to be part of the Irish nation. Sinn Féin's Broadcasting (All-Ireland Service) (Amendment) Bill would require RTÉ to proactively make every effort to include the audiences in the North, and where barriers exist due to competing licensing rights, Coimisiún na Meán and the Minister would have a duty to work with others to achieve the 32-county access.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I thank my party colleague Aengus Ó Snodaigh for introducing this Bill, which he submitted to the Bills Office in the previous Dáil. He has done tremendous work on this Bill and the many others he has introduced to the House. I also welcome our party colleague the MP for Newry and Armagh, Dáire Hughes - he is here with us today - who raised the issue of geo-blocking last year and highlighted how unfair it was when RTÉ stopped broadcasts of its news bulletins in the North of Ireland, including news from the 2024 Olympic Games. Despite RTÉ News resuming broadcasting in the North, it was simply not good enough that RTÉ continued to geo-block coverage of team Ireland competing in the Olympic Games despite more than 30 northerners representing team Ireland, a 32-county team of competitors that did the entire nation proud. Up to today, the continued geo-blocking of RTÉ programming, including the broadcast of GAA and other sporting fixtures, is a source of deep frustration for so many people.

Sinn Féin is a 32-county party committed to the ending of partition and all the vestiges of partition, such as the North of Ireland not being properly represented on maps on our national broadcaster. The Broadcasting (All-Ireland Service) (Amendment) Bill before us would place an onus on RTÉ and TG4 as our national broadcasters to proactively make every reasonable effort to end the exclusion of audiences in the North from their services. These services range from the geo-blocking of programming, to access to audience competitions and the insulting exclusion of the North's Six Counties from maps depicting Ireland.

The RTÉ Public Service Broadcasting Charter outlines RTÉ's commitment to serving the needs of the entire community on the island of Ireland. This commitment is further reinforced by the Broadcasting Act 2009, which mandates that RTÉ make its services available to the whole community. RTÉ's guiding principles also emphasise its role in bringing Irish people together and providing programming of interest to all, including those in the North of Ireland. It is simply not good enough for RTÉ to say that there is a broadcasting rights issue and then just forgetting about our northern counties and the people there.

I understand there were discussions and meetings between the Irish and British Governments and broadcasters RTÉ and BBC to find a solution to geo-blocking of sporting events last year, and that is very welcome. Based on those meetings and agreeing with the concerns raised about geo-blocking, I hope that all in government will support this Bill as it moves through the various stages to passing and becoming an Act. If additions are needed, I am sure we can address them by way of amendment along the way, but one thing is certain, that the Bill is needed.

This Bill would put in legislation what is in our national broadcaster's guiding principles. It would build bridges with northern audiences and correct the wrongs that are a major source of annoyance to viewers in the North of Ireland.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Is the Bill opposed?

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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No.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Since this is a Private Members' Bill, Second Stage must, under Standing Orders, be taken in Private Members' time.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' Time."