Cabinet to set plans on sports broadcasts

The cabinet is today expected to order Communications Minister Dermot Ahern to draw up plans to ensure that Ireland’s international soccer fixtures are broadcast live on terrestrial television.

The Government believes it has the legal authority to make such an order, despite the fact that Sky Sports has paid €7.5m for the exclusive rights to the home games.

Under the EU’s ‘television without frontiers’ directive, member states are entitled to compile a list of cultural events which must be broadcast free-to-air.

Minister Ahern has met with various sporting bodies in recent days to discuss which events he wants to put on the list.

According to the European Commission, the Irish authorities have the right to include any event, even if the exclusive broadcast rights have already been purchased, because the ‘television without frontiers’ directive was designed to curb the buy-up of major sporting events by large broadcast corporations.

Despite the Government’s apparent confidence over the situation, the FAI has received legal advice that it cannot renege on its contract with Sky.