asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state the number of hours devoted during the year 1953 and during the current year to 1st April to broadcasting radio commentaries by Radio Eireann on the following games (a) Association football; (b) Rugby football, and (c) Gaelic football and Hurling.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sports Broadcasts.
The figures for the whole of 1953 were; Association football 21 hours 25 minutes; Rugby football 12 hours 30 minutes; Gaelic football and Hurling 31 hours 25 minutes. For the first three months of this year. which include the main Association and Rugby fixtures but not the main season for Gaelic games, the figures were: Association football 15 hours 40 minutes; Rugby football 9 hours 30 minutes; Gaelic football and Hurling 4 hours 35 minutes. The figures in themselves do not convey the position fully as for example in the case of the G.A.A. more broadcasts could have taken place had the association so desired. I should add that the commentaries on Gaelic football and hurling were all broadcast on the Athlone wavelength, but some of the commentaries on Association football were broadcast only on the Dublin-Cork wavelength.