Seanad debates
Wednesday, 5 March 2003
Broadcasting (Major Events Television Coverage) (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage.
If a sports organisation needs to call on State support, the State is entitled to call the tune for that very support. Making certain events available on free-to-air television can be a quid pro quo on which the State is able to insist in return for supporting a particular sports organisation by way of funding. I hope the Minister understands the point I am making. In other words, if the State supports the organisation, it has a right to interfere. If not, it has none. If that is the correct approach to take, we should be up-front about it and say so. It then becomes a simple matter of give and take. If an organisation says, "Please support us and please give us money," we can interfere.
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