Letters to the Editor: RTÉ and GAA should protect free-to-air TV broadcasting

So, I’m surprised that the GAA is allowing GAAGO to undo a long-standing tradition of providing championship games free-to-air.

RTÉ and GAA personnel are on the board of GAAGO, which has secured a package of 38 Saturday evening championship games during the 2023 season. Instead of having these games available free-to-air, patrons must cough up €12 per game, €24 for three games or €79 for a season ticket.

The cost of this pay-per-view service and the difficulty many people will have in setting it up on their TVs is like a third-man tackle.

The GAAGO setup disenfranchises a loyal Gaelic game’s following.

Instead, RTÉ and GAA are two national institutions which should be protecting free-to-air TV broadcasting.

The lack of transparency in this tripartite arrangement is concerning and could be the first step on a path to universal payment-to-view.

GAAGO was set-up to serve viewers abroad. Giving it home control of our GAA championships is a very dangerous departure. This cosy cartel-style arrangement of double payment — TV licence and pay-to-view — is not the GAA way. Those unable to attend a championship game should be enabled to enjoy the game free-to-air. The GAA — it’s where we all belong.

Billy Ryle

Tralee

Co Kerry

Will State lose out in offshore wind deal?

On reading the article — Successful offshore wind bids revealed (Irish Examiner, May 12) — I was naturally expecting Cork to be mentioned (at least). Why?

Ever since I read the Cork Chamber report ‘Cork Harbour 2025: Ready to Float — Offshore Wind’, which is an excellent report with analysis, conclusions, and recommendations — it seemed to me a natural expectation. 

But there was no mention. Particularly when the report lauded Cork as the Maritime Capital of Ireland: The second largest natural harbour in the world; home of the National Maritime Institute; the Irish Naval Service, and Cork Dockyard with floating drydock facilities. 

Projects on the east and west coasts were awarded. Cork, however, was mentioned in passing through one of the winners in the auction namely the company Statkraft. It is particularly interesting to note that Statkraft is owned by the Norwegian government through its Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries. Where is the Irish Government interest? Offshore wind is the economic opportunity of our generation as stated in the Chamber report.

Ironically, Minister Coveney announced at the same time that he intends/plans to develop a national industrial strategy for offshore wind. Should that not have been done first, years ago, before any auction? We do not have a happy history when it comes to matters of maritime interest in this country.

Actually, it is a sad history. Our politicians have mismanaged our fishing industry, our merchant navy, our shipbuilding industry (remember Verolme Cork Dockyard?) and our naval service. 

One of the biggest scandals of all was what was known as the ‘sale of the century’ — the selling by the Irish government of non-exclusive exploration and drilling rights/licences, for a pittance, to wily and experienced American oil companies, while at the same time reducing the State’s 50% share in its offshore oil and gas to zero.

To add insult to injury the minister of the day also abolished royalties.

Could we now be seeing history repeat itself? Could this happen again with offshore wind energy generation. Control and accountability by the State (Eirgrid) are vital if Ireland is to truly benefit from this enterprise and not have its eye wiped again by the big boys of industry as in the past.

Eugene Currivan

Middle Glanmire Road

Cork

Examining our drop in university rankings

Why are we slipping in the world university rankings? We need to identify these reasons and address them immediately.

The majority of Irish students study very hard to get very good leaving cert results in what I believe to be too many subjects. It’s not satisfactory that this potential talent is then being sent on for further education in universities that are slipping in the rankings worldwide.

Who exactly is accountable for our university courses, how they are delivered, and how many weeks tuition per term a student receives? Should we not be examining what the top universities are doing and compare that with ourselves?

A thorough assessment of our education system and entry requirements into our universities is long overdue

Heidi Bolger

Kilkenny

No grey areas when it comes to neutrality

The major organs of the Irish media along with a large number of nationally elected officials and the present government; claim that Ireland is neutral when it comes to the war in Ukraine. This is nonsense.

Just as one cannot be a little pregnant — one is either pregnant or not — a nation cannot be a little bit neutral. A nation is either neutral or not, A nation, as claimed by Irish journalists and politicians, cannot be militarily neutral but politically involved in supporting one side over the other.

Neutrality is not assisting either of two belligerent states in any manner.

Those in the media and elected officials across all parties, who claim Ireland is neutral when it comes to the war in Ukraine, are pursuing one of the following paths:

• Ignorant in the subject of political science as to what comprises neutrality;
• Lying;
• Demagogues.

To be neutral is to be neither acid or alkaline or positive or negative. There is no grey.

Vincent J Lavery

Irish Free Speech Movement

Dalkey

Co Dublin

Making excuses is not welcoming

When the war started on Ukraine, neither Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and others said, ‘oh our fire certs aren’t ready’, ‘our sewage system is the pits’, ‘our kitchens aren’t up to scratch’ or ‘our accommodation isn’t perfectly located’. 

They said ‘welcome we’ll give you shelter and security from tyranny and oppression’; ‘some will be temporary and some may be temporary, not top class, not perfect not ideal’, (they don’t need to be , it’s emergency accommodation), but it will be safe and secure, welcome.

At 8km from Ennis and maybe one short bus trip to town a day the Magowna hotel refugees will have little or no effect on Ennis, they could be in Timbuktu and may be more welcome there too.

Fire certs, waste treatment systems, and absent all round footpaths are not the concern of locals, that’s for public services to sort.

The locals of Ennis and Magowna should be ashamed of themselves. Ireland of the 100,000 welcomes my hat.

Kevin T Finn

Mitchelstown

Co Cork

Let ‘Late Late’ expire

Regarding The Late Late Show, the words ‘sell by date’ spring to mind.

Tom Gilsenan

Beaumont

Dublin 9