Six Nations: Govt takes blame for big match black-out

The Government has admitted that it is at least partly to blame for the failure of Irish television stations to secure rights to broadcast this weekend’s rugby match between Ireland and England.

Sky Sports secured the rights to the game ahead of the BBC, which normally supplies pictures to RTE.

However, Arts Minister Síle de Valera admitted today that she has not yet implemented an EU directive that would have compelled Sky Television to offer the game to an Irish broadcaster.

Under the ‘television without frontiers’ directive, Ms de Valera can nominate events of cultural importance to Ireland, but she still hasn’t completed the list of events that the Government wants covered by the legislation.