Ireland away games can be protected from Sky bid, says EC

IRELAND'S international away games could also be protected from being bought up by Sky, the European Commission said yesterday.

The satellite broadcaster is reported to have placed a 17m euro bid to screen away games involving the Irish, English and Scottish soccer teams.

This bid is certain to eclipse any rival offer, but a spokesperson for the European Commission said there was nothing to stop the Government including these fixtures in its list of protected events to be kept on free TV.

Communications Minister Dermot Ahern wants to include both home and away games as part of the Government’s planned compendium of protected sporting events, but no firm decision has been made.

A spokesperson for Mr Ahern said: “We can include the away games in the list if we want to and that is a matter we’re looking into. The Minister would like to do so, but it will be a Government decision.” Sky have already bought exclusive rights to screen Ireland’s home soccer internationals but the Government is planning to add these games to its list of protected events.

A senior European Commission official, Christophe Forax, was adamant yesterday that Ireland could add all its soccer team’s internationals to its list.

Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands have included all their national football team’s fixtures in their lists of free-to-air sporting events.

Mr Ahern, meanwhile, will map out to the Cabinet tomorrow his plans for ensuring the list of events is placed on the statue books as soon as possible.

The whole process will take around three months and will include consultations with sporting bodies, a public forum and the placing of the list into Irish legislation.

But Fine Gael MEP John Cushnahan and Labour’s communications spokesman Eamon Gilmore said the Government should proceed with the list as a matter of urgency and criticised Mr Ahern for embarking on another round of consultation.

But a spokesperson for the Minister said the European Commission had told the Government that consultation with all bodies affected is vital.

FAI sources, meanwhile, said any Government attempt to change the legal contract they signed with Sky could prove very difficult.

Sky has declined to comment on what it plans to do should the Government designate key events to be protected under EU legislation.