RTÉ viewers to miss out on Ryder coverage

THE Government was last night accused of failing the Irish people and capitulating to Sky TV after Communications Minister Noel Dempsey announced the Ryder Cup would not be available on a free-to-air basis.

Despite the support of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for a free-to-air Ryder Cup, Mr Dempsey announced yesterday that the tournament would not be included on the Government’s list of free-to-air events.

RTÉ also argued that all major sporting events should be free, including the Ryder Cup.

In a January submission to the Government, Sky Ireland vowed to take “all actions necessary” to protect its rights to the Ryder Cup if the Government tried to make it free.

In the submission the company warned that Ireland’s reputation “as an open-minded, fairly-operated and business-friendly society” would be damaged by Government interference.

Making the announcement yesterday, Mr Dempsey said the Ryder Cup - the largest sporting event to be hosted in Ireland for years - did not meet the criteria required for free-to-air events.

“I had to consider the past practice with regard to television coverage of the event or similar events, whether the event involves participation by a national or non-national team or by Irish persons, the extent to which the event has a special general resonance for the people of Ireland and the extent to which the event has a generally recognised distinct cultural importance for the people of Ireland,” he said.

Mr Dempsey also said a 2003 decision not to designate the Ryder Cup free-to-air had created a “reasonable expectation that it would remain outside of the remit of ‘free-to-air’ for 2006”.

The opposition immediately criticised the move with Fine Gael sports spokesman Jimmy Deenihan accusing the Government of failing the Irish people.

“It is absurd that a significant sporting event like the Ryder Cup, which will showcase some of Ireland’s best golf courses to the world, will be restricted to a limited number of viewers in Ireland,” he said.