Minister plans to designate main events

THERE are doubts as to whether anything can be done about the deal between the FAI and Sky on the sale of the television rights to Ireland's home internationals.

However, Sports Minister, John O'Donoghue, said if the public are going to be deprived of major events in the future then the Government will be looking at it, and certain events could be designated.

"All I can say at this point is that today the Government had a very good, frank and long discussion on this matter, the legalities will be looked at and then a decision will be arrived at in the context of what emerges," Mr O'Donoghue said, expressing bitter disappointment with the FAI over what happened.

"Last week I met with representatives of the FAI and they never told me that they were involved in negotiations with Sky at all. I was particularly disappointed about that as well. I met the FAI yesterday and I outlined to them the amount of public anger and disappointment that was about and I also outlined my own personal disappointment about the fact that I met them last week and they never chose to tell me about the fact they were involved in negotiations.

"They have said that they are going to try to make their games more widely available but that is going to be difficult, so, in all the circumstances of the case the only alternative available to the Government at this point is to examine the legalities and see if there is some way that we can help."

He outlined what he described as the amount of public disquiet even anger resulting from the deal which stunned Irish soccer fans still basking in the World Cup sunshine.

"Obviously the FAI will make the argument that they have to be free to make their own commercial arrangements. They obviously make the argument as well that they are in a situation where they are responsible for the development of the game and, of course, we acknowledge all of that," he said.

"But, at the same time, there is a great sense of loss and disappointment amongst the general public. I would be particularly concerned, for example, about the young people who won't have the opportunity, perhaps, of watching them play. It is not everyone who can afford Sky Sports. It is true to say that terrestrial television meant that Ireland's games were freely available."

The FAI said that they would do their best to make their games more widely available through Sky but he felt that was going to be difficult and the Government would be keeping a close eye on any future deals.

As regards the possibility of the television rights to other major events such as the All-Ireland finals, the Derby or rugby internationals being sold to Sky, he said that under the legislation dealing with this, which is the 1999 Act, it was possible for the Minister for Communications, after consultation with the sporting bodies and the Minister for Sport to designate certain events that would have to be shown on terrestrial television.

"This is an option which the current Minister for Communications, Dermot Ahern, is examining. My own view is that, whilst it may be possible to designate certain main events it really would not be feasible to designate a whole plethora of events for the very simple reason that you would, to a large extent, be tying the commercial hands of the organisations concerned and this is something you must take into consideration as well," he said.

"For example, if you are speaking to the IRFU, the GAA or the FAI for that matter, they will make the commercial argument to you but, nonetheless, I do hold the view that if the public are going to be deprived in the future of events which they own, really, then they will obviously have to come to the notice of the Government, matters may have to be looked and at it's quite possible that certain major events be designated."

He admitted that they could not start designating a whole plethora of events because that would be out of line with commercial reality.

Asked as to whether, in the FAI context, retrospectivity could be applied he there are some doubts as to whether it could or could not.

Mr O'Donoghue, who was at Guinness House in Cork to launch Puck Fair, said he was confident that Ireland and Scotland would be successful in their bid to host the European soccer championships in 2008 and that Ireland's national stadium would be ready in plenty of time.

"We have an opportunity now to display to the world our best talents and nurture those talents in the very best available place and that is in a national stadium which I intend to construct," he said.

"The Taoiseach has a mandate build a national stadium. It is my hope to bring forward a memorandum to the Government in the coming weeks, put the proposals in relation to this on the Cabinet table and seek a discussion in regard to the site and in regard to the capacity of the stadium."