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Newry and Armagh MP, Dáire Hughes, has welcomed the introduction of a new bill to end the practice of geo-blocking and excluding northern citizens from RTÉ competitions.
The bill was introduced at the Oireachtas yesterday by Sinn Féin TDs Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Joanna Byrne.
Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD said "RTÉ cannot erase the North of Ireland. Our Constitution is very clear: it is the entitlement and birthright of every person born on the island of Ireland to be part of the Irish nation. Sinn Féin's Broadcasting (All-Ireland Service) (Amendment) Bill would require RTÉ to proactively make every effort to include the audiences in the North, and where barriers exist due to competing licensing rights, Coimisiún na Meán and the Minister would have a duty to work with others to achieve the 32-county access."
Speaking on the bill Dáire Hughes MP said: “We have constantly raised the wholly unfair practice of RTÉ geo-blocking content to viewers in the north and our exclusion from RTÉ competitions. I am delighted that my party colleague, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, has introduced the Broadcasting (All Ireland Service) Bill.
“The Bill was submitted in July 2024 at a time when RTÉ had taken the ridiculous decision to exclude northern audiences from access to live news bulletins just as athletes from the north were set to enthral the nation as part of Team Ireland at the Olympics and when Armagh’s winning performance at the All-Ireland Men’s Senior Football Final.
“While it was welcome that RTÉ rowed back on that decision following pressure from myself and others, this was just one in a long line of examples of RTÉ not providing equal service to audiences in the north.
“RTÉ also held an audience competition to win tickets to that final, but Armagh viewers were barred from taking part. Repeated instances of the Six Counties being erased by RTÉ from the map of Ireland adds insult to injury."
Mr Hughes added “This strikes to the heart of the southern establishment’s disregard for and perception of Irish citizens in the north. We were clearly not a consideration for them when negotiating and entering into their broadcasting arrangements."
The MP concluded “If passed, this bill would place an onus on national broadcasters to make every reasonable effort to end this exclusion. It would also require Coimisiún na Meán and the Communications Minister to identify, and work to overcome, licencing barriers to all-Ireland service in broadcast media.
“The strong all-Ireland Sinn Féin team will continue to work to stand up for citizens in the north.”
