The Oireachtas Committee on Sport and Media has decided to hold two separate meetings with sports bodies and broadcasters following a tense private meeting.
It is now expected that the saga over the broadcasting of GAA matches could last several weeks and will not be finalised until after many important matches have taken place.
The Oireachtas Committee on Sport and Media has decided to hold two separate meetings with sports bodies and broadcasters following a tense private meeting.
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It is now expected that the saga over the broadcasting of GAA matches could last several weeks and will not be finalised until after many important matches have taken place.
The committee met to discuss inviting the GAA and RTÉ in to discuss the GAAGo controversy.
However, following a lengthy one hour meeting, it was decided that two sessions would be held to discuss the issues.
The meetings will discuss “The Future of Broadcasting of Sport”. It is expected that the GAA, the IRFU, the FAI, Sports Ireland and the Federation of Irish Sports will attend one meeting.
The second meeting will involve broadcasters. While it is unclear which broadcasters may attend, it is envisaged that RTÉ, Virgin, Sky Sports and local broadcasters may all be invited to attend.
However, there are no dates for these meetings. Groups will be asked to send submissions to the committee with their views before their appearances.
The Irish Mirror understands that there were arguments at the meeting between one cohort who believed that the GAA and RTÉ needed to be hauled in and another who thought the issue was being blown out of proportion.
The Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers (OPLA) – which serves as the Oireachtas’ in-house legal team – attended the meeting to provide advice on the matter.
It is understood that TDs and Senators were told that the “Broadcasting Act is very clear.” and that RTÉ is independent in its commercial functions. It was also told that the GAA is a private body.
The meeting also heard that a review of the list of sporting events protected for free-to-air broadcast is currently underway and is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
The current list of protected events that cannot be put behind a paywall includes the All Ireland Senior Ladies Football Final, All Ireland Senior Camogie Finals and the All-Ireland Senior Inter-County Football and Hurling Finals.
The meeting heard that there needs to be a “broader discussion about what are core sports and what needs to be protected”.
It is also understood that some members of the committee were unhappy with the OPLA attending to give. However, the legal advisers hit back, saying that they were brought in to give advice and that is what they had done.
Several members of the committee told the Irish Mirror after the meeting that they were unhappy over the suggestion that there would be a “submission period”.
They noted that this would drag out the controversy for another number of weeks and that the GAA and RTÉ will not attend a committee meeting in the near future.
However, it is understood that groups will submit their views in advance of their appearance at the committee and not during a separate period.
One TD speculated that the decision will lead to further controversies when the Kerry vs Mayo game is held on May 20.
Elsewhere, the GAA hit back at Virgin Media’s statement on Tuesday that suggested it had not contacted Virgin Media or any broadcaster about airing GAA games when the broadcasting deal with Sky Sports ended.
They said that the GAA had contacted Virgin as early as February 2021. They said: “The GAA did not receive a formal bid from VMTV or an expression of interest.
“In short, VMTV were afforded every opportunity to discuss options, variations to packages and to submit a confidential offer. VMTV chose not to bid.”
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