Limerick TD backs Ryan on free sports

FIANNA FÁIL TD Niall Collins of Limerick West has backed the controversial plans of Green Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan to designate key rugby matches as free-to-air for television.

While other Fianna Fáil figures have opposed the plans, Mr Collins indicated he agreed with Mr Ryan that transferring specific sports events to pay TV channels was undesirable.

“A parent having to resort to bringing young children to public houses to watch these major sporting events is not good social policy,” Mr Collins said.

Mr Collins is a former Garryowen player. His party colleague, former minister for sport John O’Donoghue, last month claimed Mr Ryan’s plans would be potentially disastrous for rugby here.

Fianna Fáil Senators Pascal Mooney and Larry Butler joined Mr O’Donoghue in backing an Oireachtas committee motion supporting the Irish Rugby Football Union’s stance against the plans.

However, Mr Collins has written Mr Ryan to say he believed that present policy would “drive the game into an elitist class sport” if it was not changed.

“It is my view that the balance [commercialism versus the public interest] is now weighted completely against the wider public interest in relation to the rugby Six Nations and the ERC [Heineken Cup] final stages [when Irish teams are participating],” he said.

Mr Collins called for a “full and open” analysis of the finances of the IRFU. He said it should project future revenue streams to be generated from the new Lansdowne Road stadium.

Mr Ryan has also argued that transferring specific sports events to pay TV channels is socially divisive.