Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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265. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to the widespread concerns in Northern Ireland in relation to limited access to RTÉ channels for many viewers with further difficulties emerging with the availability of television streaming services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2944/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Under Section 114(1) of the Broadcasting Act 2009, RTÉ, as part of its public service objects are required to establish, maintain and operate a national television and sound broadcasting service which shall have the character of a public service, be a free-to-air service and be made available, in so far as it is reasonably practicable, to the whole community on the island of Ireland. However, I have no role in relation to this matter as in accordance with Section 98 of the Act, RTÉ is independent in its day-to-day functions.

The issue raised by the Deputy regarding access to streaming services is primarily to do with broadcast rights and access to broadcasts of sports events. At an operational level, the acquisition of sports rights and the geographical areas in which they are broadcast is a commercial matter for the relevant sporting bodies, which usually provide broadcasting licences on an exclusive territorial basis. I do not have a role in these commercial arrangements.