Taoiseach Simon Harris has said that far more people are disappointed with GAAGO and the season than with the comments he made about the subscription service a number of weeks ago.
GAAGO has been slammed to an umpteenth degree once again this year by fans of Gaelic football and hurling for not showing a number of high-profile games.
There have been a number of comments made about the streaming service, with Taoiseach Simon Harris and GAA President Jarlath Burns both exchanging barbs at each other.
Speaking last month, Harris said, "The GAA really needs to revisit this; they really need to listen to their grassroots members.
"That's always been their strength, and I think they've gotten this wrong. I think they need to reflect. My colleague, Senator Tim Lombart, has asked that the GAA come into the Oireachtas; I think that's entirely appropriate, and that they tease through and discuss this issue."
Burns responded by saying that he felt both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste were speaking up about the controversy to appeal to voters ahead of the upcoming election.
"I’m very, very surprised and disappointed that the Taoiseach and then the Tánaiste would actually speak about something that we have already been in front of an Oireachtas Committee for.
"They were satisfied with our answers. It came up last week at a meeting. There were no issues.
"You would almost think there was an election coming up."
Pressure is growing on the GAA and RTÉ over GAAGO, with the Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheal Martin adding their voices to those critical of the service. pic.twitter.com/psqUmYwOaE
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) May 10, 2024
Harris has once again made comments about the platform. The Fine Gael leader believes that regardless of what the GAA bosses think of his comments, it is irrelevant because they should be listening to their core base, which is their grassroots members. This is something they haven't been doing, according to many.
“The last time I raised this, there was a lot of tut-tutting from the 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 GAAGO,” the Taoiseach said.
“So don’t listen to me if you don’t want to; that’s grand, but please do listen to the grassroots of the GAA. The GAA is an amazing organisation, and its beauty is 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."
Harris also believes there has to be a better way of doing things. He also says he will speak to GAA bosses once again about the issue.
“So this is a matter for the GAA; it’s also, I think, a role that we talk about in public service broadcasting and RTÉ; 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, and 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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