RTÉ coverage of Gaelic games
Senator Landy criticises RTÉ for inadequate coverage of county Gaelic finals and asks the Leader to bring in the Communications Minister; the Chair rules the matter outside the Order of Business.
Last Sunday was a relatively quiet day for sports both at national and international level, but it was one of the most important days of the year at club level. A total of 15 titles were decided last week. It was the most important day in the history of the Ballincollig club in Cork when its senior team became county champions for the first time in the club's 128 year history. Portlaoise has won eight county titles, a record, while St. Brigid's GAA Club in Roscommon has won five. However, what did we GAA enthusiasts receive from the national broadcaster? There were three minutes about soccer, two minutes about rugby and half a minute about golf, which was taking place on the other side of the world, and no information on the GAA.
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It is very relevant and the last time I raised the issue-----
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-----you tried to rule me out of order, but, please, give me the chance to develop the point.
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The issue is that the State broadcaster, RTE, is refusing to give the people of Ireland information on our national games. It is the national broadcaster which is subsidised by taxpayers, yet for three years in a row it has tried to prevent ordinary people from finding out what is happening in our national games. That is surely an issue for this House to discuss. I contacted the GAA about it on two other occasions. I was told by the head of sport that it was not possible to show the results of 64 county finals in a television broadcast. There were only 15 games last Sunday and the ordinary people of Ireland who follow the GAA were told to look at the GAA and RTE websites for information.
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Nobody following rugby or soccer was told to go there. It is about time RTE was brought to heel on this matter. I call on the Leader to bring in the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to put manners on RTE in relation to our entitlement to hear what is going on in the world of GAA - our national sports - on a weekly basis.