A FINAL decision on free-to-air sporting events will be reached before the year’s end, according to Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan.
Mr Ryan said submissions received from various bodies were being analysed and would come before the Government shortly.
“We’ve appointed a firm of consultants to look at the submissions which have come in, to come back to me with analysis and advice,” he said. “I would hope early in the autumn to come back to my Government colleagues with this analysis done and have a further lengthy debate on the issue and then a decision fairly quickly.”
Mr Ryan said he would not comment, however, on controversy surrounding the hike of ticketing prices by the Irish Rugby Football Union. “I know it’s something that really created a lot of concern and rancour with people, but my focus is on the free-to-air television issue, to get that right and to work with the IRFU and the other sporting bodies to make sure that the Irish viewing public is not disadvantaged. Particularly people on a lower income, elderly people or younger people who don’t have access to paid TV or don’t have access to the tickets to go to the game . . . ”
Speaking at the launch of Active Retirement Ireland’s new website yesterday, Mr Ryan said about seven out of 10 people over 65 didn’t have access to the internet.
“If we get them online, it hugely improves the quality of their life in communication. They continue to be informed, educated and it breaks down some of the isolation,” he said, adding a programme funded by the department under which 115 older people were trained to coach others in computer use was very beneficial.
Chief executive of Active Retirement Ireland Maureen Kavanagh said it was important negative attitudes to computer technology among older people were addressed by the IT sector.
“It is in their own best interests to demonstrate . . . how easy and beneficial it can be to get a computer and go online,” she said.