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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 24 Jun 1941

Vol. 84 No. 1

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Licences for Crystal Sets.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether he will give consideration to the unfair incidence of taxation on holders or wireless licences, by which owners of crystal sets or sets with head-phones, whose reception is very limited, are obliged to pay the same licence fee, 12/6, as owners of all other types of radio sets, even those whose range is practically unlimited, and whether in view of these facts he will contemplate the reduction of the licence fees for users of crystal sets to 5/-.

I have carefully considered the Deputy's suggestion, but regret that I am unable to accept the principle of varying the wireless licence fee in accordance with the range of the particular set. I may mention, too, that out of 182,694 licences in force on the 31st March last only 302 were in respect of crystal sets. The fairly complex administrative arrangements that would be necessary to collect a smaller licence fee from this small number would be entirely unwarranted.

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