Vol. 482 No. 1
4 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will make a statement on the growth of pay per event sports television, especially its impact on sporting organisations; and if he has drafted a list of sporting events to be protected against the pay per view system being developed by the Sky television organisation. [17312/97]
I understand from the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, who has responsibility for broadcasting policy that the issue of broadcasting major sporting events will be among the items to be addressed in the context of the transportation into Irish law of the new article 3(A) of the Television Without Frontiers Directive 89/552/EEC, as modified in June 1997 by EU Directive 97/36/EC.
This new article provides that member states may designate national and non-national sporting events which are of major importance to society and that broadcasters cannot exercise their rights in such a way as to deprive a substantial proportion of the population to coverage of such events on "free to air" television.
I understand that the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands has asked the Attorney General for advice on how the provisions of the amended directive can be transposed into Irish law. This will be followed by a series of consultations, including my Department and the Irish Sports Council.
