Róisín Garvey (Green Party)
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The next Commencement matter is from Senator Ollie Crowe. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Brien, to the Chamber.

Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail)
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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.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I thank the Senator for raising this matter. The GAA is an independent, autonomous sporting organisation. The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, has no role in commercial arrangements between the GAA and broadcasters. While the Minister, Deputy Martin, would be in favour of the public having as much access to sport as possible on a free-to-air basis, the autonomy and independence of all our sporting organisations must be recognised.

Media rights are the most commercially precious assets for sports organisations and they need to be maximised and reinvested in grassroots supports in order for sports to flourish. In that regard, the Minister would like to see the additional revenues the GAA has generated through its deal with Sky Sports filter down to the clubs at grassroots level as much as possible.

Annual Government funding to the GAA is provided by Sport Ireland through its field sports funding programme. This investment is broadly aimed at encouraging and creating more opportunities for young people to participate in Gaelic games across Ireland. In 2020, Sport Ireland has allocated just under €1.6 million to the GAA under this programme. Like all sporting organisations, the GAA has been significantly impacted this year by the various Covid-19 restrictions imposed since March. We are all aware of the impact the loss of ticketing and match day revenue has had on the Gaelic games associations.

On 2 November, the Minister, Deputy Martin, and the Minister with responsibility for sport and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jack Chambers, announced an €85 million funding package for the sports sector. The combined support being provided to the family of Gaelic games, which includes GAA, camogie and ladies Gaelic football, through the Covid-19 scheme is in excess of €15 million. In addition to that, a further €15 million was provided to support the staging of the 2020 GAA, LGFA and camogie championships. The Senator will recall that both the men's and women's Gaelic games championships were threatened by the lack of ticketing income due to the impact of the necessary public health provisions on spectator numbers at matches.

As I stated at the outset, the Minister, Deputy Martin, has no role in respect of the commercial arrangements between sporting organisations and broadcasters. However, the audiovisual media services directive provides that member states may designate sporting and cultural events of major importance to society as free-to-air. The provisions were transposed into Irish legislation in section 162 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, which sets down the statutory process for designating events free-to-air. The events that are designated as being of major importance to society are broadcast as a matter of public interest on a qualifying broadcaster - RTÉ, Virgin Media or TG4 - on a live or deferred basis.

The current list provides for several GAA events to be free-to-air. The All-Ireland senior inter-county football and hurling finals were designated in 2003. The most recent review was finalised in 2017, and approval was received from the European Commission to designate the all-Ireland ladies football and camogie finals as events of major importance in May 2017.

To secure approval from the EU for designation, the event must satisfy at least two of the following four criteria: it must have a special resonance with a country as a whole; must be of cultural importance, especially as a catalyst of cultural identity; must involve the national team in the event concerned if it relates to a competition of international importance; and, finally, if it has traditionally been broadcast on free television commanding large television audiences. Two of those four must be met. Another important metric in addition to those criteria is measured by the EU. The event must have at least 5% of audience share, that is, the share of people who have the possibility to watch the event that actually watch the event.

Under the 2009 Act, the Minister is obliged to review the list of designated events every three years. The purpose of the review is to consider the appropriateness of the current list of designated events and to examine whether to add any events of major importance to society. As part of this process, the Minister, Deputy Martin, will launch a public consultation process in the coming weeks. This consultation will give stakeholders a chance to have their say on the current list, identify other events that could be considered in addition to or removal from the list, and provide a rationale on the way an event meets the criteria for legislation.

Róisín Garvey (Green Party)
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We did not get a copy of the Minister of State's reply. Did the Minister, Deputy Martin, give him a copy?

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I do not have copies to circulate at the moment but we will do that. I apologise.

Róisín Garvey (Green Party)
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We will have to get one for Senator Crowe anyway.

Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail)
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That is fine. I thank the Minister of State for his time. If he could send me the response by email I would appreciate that.

I welcome the review. It is encouraging. I am delighted to hear that the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, has committed to that. I do not want to labour the point but the fact is that hundreds of millions of euro of taxpayers' money have been invested in the GAA. What is happening is morally wrong, and morally wrong in terms of the members. The GAA said in 2014 that it was for the diaspora. That has proven to be incorrect, false and wrong. As the Minister of State is aware, the contract for Sky Sports coverage of GAA games is up for renewal. I am requesting the Minister of State, as part of this Government, to send a clear direction to the GAA that there should be no more pay-per-view deals. The GAA is a volunteer organisation the length and breadth of Ireland. Its members should be treated with respect. This pay-per-view deal is not acceptable. I ask the Government to send out a clear message in that regard. I respect the commercial decision for the GAA but it is significantly funded by taxpayers' money.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I appreciate the Senator's comments on this matter. I will take the issue around the diaspora in particular to the Minister. It is an area I have worked in and therefore am interested in it.

The year 2020 has been very challenging for the sporting bodies, particularly those that rely on mass spectator events for their income. The Government has provided unprecedented support for the GAA and other sporting bodies in recognition of the contribution they make to Irish society in terms of offering opportunities for sport and physical activity as well as the vibrant role sports clubs play in communities throughout the country. That was demonstrated again when clubs from the Gaelic games and other sports answered the community call to support the elderly and vulnerable members of their communities during the pandemic.

I reiterate that the Government will be reviewing the designated free-to-air events as required under the 2009 Act. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Martin, will shortly launch a public consultation on the designation of sporting and cultural events of major importance to society as free-to-air. I would encourage all interested parties to make submissions as part of that process.

Róisín Garvey (Green Party)
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I thank the Minister of State. It would be good to have that response circulated to Members but I would like a copy of it also.