Legislation to protect major sporting and cultural events from being available only on subscription television will be introduced, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands has said.
The Government had accepted her proposals to ensure some events remained available on free-to-air television services, Ms de Valera said yesterday.
This would enable her to draw up a list of such major events.
Ms de Valera's plan is the fourth attempt in two years to draw up legislation to reflect domestic and European concern about the increasing number of sporting events being bought for subscription or pay-per-view television services.
Her predecessor, Mr Michael D. Higgins, whose broadcasting legislation fell with the last government, planned to include such a proposal. Ms de Valera introduced a Private Members Bill while in opposition and recently Mr Higgins introduced another Bill.
Ms de Valera's proposal will give effect to the EU's Television Without Frontiers directive that allows countries to draw up a list of protected events.
The list is submitted to the EU and, if approved, circulated to member-states.
While the Minister has not yet drawn up a list - this will be done only following wide consultation, she said - the proposals are designed to protect events such as the All-Ireland finals, the Grand National, and the home countries' rugby championships.
The legislation will also allow major cultural events to be listed. These might include the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin or the Rose of Tralee.
Ms de Valera said there was strong public interest in ensuring certain premier national and non-national events were available on television services that are free at the point of reception and which are provided on a universal coverage basis or as near to that as is possible.
The Minister will designate "qualified broadcasters". The initial qualified broadcasters will be RTE, TnaG and TV3. If another station acquires a listed event it would have to make it available to a qualified broadcaster at a reasonable cost.
Ms de Valera said changes were taking place in the world of sport which could radically affect national and international events. Many of these were outside the scope of her proposals, she said.
Both the Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC) and RTE welcomed the planned legislation.
The chief executive of the IRTC, Mr Michael O'Keeffe, particularly welcomed the three-year lead-in before any qualifying station had to transmit to 95 per cent of the State. TV3, which is regulated by the IRTC, has 85 per cent coverage at present.
RTE's Mr Kevin Healy said it was essential that national broadcasters, such as RTE, be given guaranteed access to major events.
He also believed it was significant and welcome that the Minister's proposals were not confined to sporting events.