TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS has re-opened the debate regarding GAA GO after reaffirming his stance that Gaelic games should not be behind a paywall.
Responding to a question from Noel Grealish in the Dáil this afternoon, Harris said it was important for the GAA hierarchy to listen to the concerns of its grassroots membership.
Referencing his previous comments in May, in which he stated that the association had “gotten this wrong” in relation to the streaming service, the Taoiseach admitted that there had been “a lot of tut-tutting from top brass in the GAA.”
Harris confirmed that both GAA President Jarlath Burns and Director General Tom Ryan had contacted him on the issue and that a meeting with the pair was on the agenda.
“The last time I raised this there was a lot of tut-tutting from top brass in the GAA, and they were very disappointed with my comments, but I’d say this to them, respectfully, far more people are disappointed with how this season has been shown in terms of GAA GO,” the Taoiseach said.
“So don’t listen to me if you don’t want, that’s grand, but please do listen to the grassroots of the GAA. The GAA is an amazing organisation and its beauty has been that it is a grassroots organisation.
“And I’ve said many, many times that the GAA needs to listen to the grassroots. I was at the Cork-Limerick match in Páirc Uí Chaoimh earlier this summer, unfortunately many people across the country did not get a chance to see the game because it was behind a paywall. The same, indeed, was true for Galway and Dublin last weekend, as well.
“So this is a matter for the GAA, it’s also, I think, a role that we talk about public service broadcasting and RTE, I think there is a role in that dimension too.
“But there has to be a better way of doing this. I’m certainly a big supporter of the GAA, the government is a big supporter of the GAA. But I do think they should listen to the grassroots and I absolutely look forward to meeting with the President of the GAA and the Director General, both of whom have reached out to me on this issue.”
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