Vol. 191 No. 2
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether he plans to increase the radio licence fee; if so, at what time he plans to make this increase; what such new licence will cost; what the new television licence will cost; and what the cost of a combined radio and television licence will be.
29.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether there will be separate licences for radio and television when Irish television commences; if so, what the cost of each will be; if there will be a composite licence for both radio and television; and, if so, what the cost of it will be.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 29 together.
When presenting the Broadcasting Authority Bill to the House early last year, I indicated that an increase in the sound broadcasting receiving licence fee, which is among the lowest in Europe, would be inevitable if the service was to become financially independent. The present position is that no decision has yet been taken either on sound or television licence fees. Obviously, however, decisions will have to be made very soon.
Could the Minister indicate when we will have the television service?
That is a separate question.
What does the Minister mean by "very soon?"
The public would like to know and the people engaged in the business would like to know.
The indications are that you will have the television service before the end of the year.
