SPORT ON TELEVISION: The Government has responded to the controversy over the FAI-Sky deal by promising to draw up a list of sporting events that must be available for free on terrestrial television.

Minister for Communications Dermot Ahern has instructed his officials to compile the list of protected events immediately, according to a spokesman.

However, while the list is likely to include such major events as the All-Ireland finals and the Irish Derby, it will not have any effect on the controversial decision of the FAI to sell the rights for Ireland's coming home internationals to Sky, a subscriber-only channel.

Ahern has no plans to put individual soccer matches, such as the qualifying games for the next European championships, on the list, according to his spokesman.

The €7.5 million agreement between the FAI and Sky is regarded as "a done deal".

His initiative prompted Labour's communications spokesman, Eamon Gilmore, to accuse Ahern of "locking the stable door after the FAI has bolted".

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said yesterday he was disappointed at the deal, which would mean the vast majority of people would not be able to see the Irish matches.

"Whatever about living here in the heart of Dublin, I can't imagine people out in Blacksod or down the western seaboard on a winter's night marching out of the hills and the houses down to some place where they could find the Sky stations," he told reporters.

Department of Communications officials responded to a wave of public anger over the deal by saying that "foot-dragging" by major sporting organisations was the reason why the list had not been drawn up since the relevant legislation was passed in 1999.

Dermot Ahern, who took over responsibility for communications from his colleague Síle de Valera a month ago, said the IRFU, the FAI and the GAA all strongly opposed the compilation of a list of protected events when they were consulted about the matter.

"They regarded it as a severe restriction of their bargaining power," he told RTÉ radio.

However, Gilmore claimed the Fianna Fáil/PD Government had done nothing since the the Broadcasting (Major Events Television Coverage) Act was passed to protect major sporting events from being "gobbled up" by wealthy media conglomerates, such as the Rupert Murdoch organisation (which owns Sky).

"Minister Ahern's attempt to blame the Government's failure to act on the lack of co-operation received from the sporting organisations is pathetic. The Government had the powers to act: what was clearly missing was the political will."

Gilmore questioned whether Fianna Fáil had the will to upset Murdoch, whose tabloid newspapers had supported the party.

Earlier, Ahern pointed out that few events, most of which were once-off occasions, had been placed on a similar list in Britain. The list would not apply to "the broad sweep of events" such as qualifying matches. EU permission would be required before events could be designated, he said.

The Minister said he was disappointed by the FAI's decision but said that only "people power" would make the association change its mind.