Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In her earlier contribution, my colleague, Senator Rose Conway-Walsh raised some of the macro issues that still scar our country as a result of partition. In many ways, the negatives permeate every aspect of our lives, including the major issues around health, transport and infrastructure, but also sitting down on a Saturday afternoon and trying to enjoy a sports game. I have never encountered an issue that has led to people in the North being energised via social media than the continued practice of satellite subscribers in the North being blocked from watching RTE programmes. The most recent was the Ireland versus New Zealand rugby match last weekend. Before that, it was coverage of the Olympic Games and the coverage of Irish athletes who were taking part there. It also happened during the European Football Championships when Ireland did so well on the international stage. It goes right across the board. I appreciate that we may not be able to do anything about it now in light of the contractual and licensing arrangements that obtain.

The matter to which I refer highlights a bigger problem in the context of mindset. When RTE approaches negotiations relating to these issues and to television coverage, it is thinking in partitionist terms and is not thinking about those of us in the North who want to be able to view our sporting heroes on the international stage. I will call for the Minister to contribute by way of a Commencement matter. I will hope the Leader can raise this matter with his ministerial colleague. We so often have the opportunity to commend and congratulate our sporting heroes on representing us so well. We have very positively engaged across the island, North and South, to put together a very positive bid to attract the Rugby World Cup to Ireland. However, I fear that we could be faced with a mad situation whereby some of the games will take place in the North but we will not be able to watch them on RTE in the North. That would be a great shame and a very backward step. I hope all Senators will engage in respect of this matter across the various sectors of the media as we move forward.