Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. Following a weekend that had two great All-Ireland hurling semi-finals, I wish to raise GAA coverage. The deal that allows Sky Sports exclusive rights over some championship matches expires at the end of next year. It is time all inter-county championship matches returned to free-to-air television. Certainly, they can be on Sky Sports, but they should also be on the terrestrial channels - RTÉ2, TV3 or TG4. The GAA belongs to the Irish people, including the small minority who have no interest in it, given the amount of taxpayer funds that have always gone to the GAA, far exceeding any other sport. The Covid-19 package this year and the 2019 sports capital programmes are recent examples, with the GAA receiving €28 million, more than any other sport, from those programmes. To be clear, I fully support the funding, believe in the good work and ethos of the GAA and have been involved in the GAA all my adult and juvenile life.In 2014, the GAA officials stated that the Sky coverage would allow the diaspora to see matches and expand its games to an international audience. Let me put on the record of the House that that information was incorrect. The deal harmed the ability of emigrants to see games. For example, in the UK currently, one needs to purchase a Sky subscription and a GAAGO subscription to see all the games. The new international audience has proved to be fiction. It is false, with figures as low as fewer than 1,000 people throughout Britain watching the games. It is clear to me that Sky was only concerned with the Irish market, which is worth more than €500 million per year. However, as a councillor at the time, what I said about those who opposed the deal remains true now. In April 2014, when this deal commenced, I wrote that the GAA was founded with the stated goal of promoting, as all Members of this House are aware, Irish culture and that I failed to see how it was doing that by depriving hundreds of thousands of people across the country the opportunity of watching our national games. That has since proven to be correct.

I am aware of many people who have given countless hours on a voluntary basis to GAA clubs and the development of the GAA. They dedicated their lives to the GAA but missed out watching their counties play throughout Ireland, the reason being that they cannot afford Sky. That is the reality. They are facing a cost of three figures every month. That is wrong, whether they are in nursing homes or hospitals. These are the people who served the GAA well. They brought the juveniles to games the length and breadth of this country. I am well aware of that being from Galway city and proudly involved in my local GAA club.

When this deal was signed in 2014, it was wrong. It remains wrong today. This Government should make clear its opposition to any further renewal in the strongest possible terms. I am delighted to raise the issue with the Minister of State and I await his response.