Senior RTE figures appearing before the commerce, business and investment committee said it’d subsequently attempt to solve issues with the firm.

Muirne Laffan, from RTE, said the cross border issue had been continuing since the broadcaster established its catchup service in 2008 and was “uncommon” within Europe.

“From RTE’s view we’re committed to making services accessible to all users across the isle of Ireland,” she said.

“In relation to sport, the GAA is the sole one which sells rights on an all-Ireland basis, and other sports, including the Champions League, are not accessible.”

Michael Kennedy, senior infrastructure engineer at RTE, said internet service providers (ISPs) use a broad variety of addresses and that could allow it to be impossible to nail addresses within the united kingdom.

He encouraged individuals changed to “request the ISP to touch base with us and we can place it on a listing of Northern Ireland addresses, or make them provide you with a static address”.

“When an ISP contacts us we attempt to solve it for each of their customers.”

Mr Kennedy added: “A non-IP address system of identification, including charging info, would be open to abuse.”

The RTE representatives said there have been “changing levels of success” in solving the issue, with some internet service providers more cooperative than many others.

Pressed by SDLP East Derry MLA John Dallat for additional details, Mr Kennedy replied: “The hardest communicating has been with BT. They clarified that their system is on a whole-UK basis and said they wouldn’t have the capacity to readily distinguish NI addresses.

“BT requested that RTE pay the price of any developments to the network for a different NI address. We were not satisfied with that.”

At the final sitting of the committee before the assembly breaks up for elections, members agreed to write about the issue to BT.