asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if in view of the fact that Telefís Éireann cannot be received in County Donegal he will suspend payment of licence duty by all holders of TV sets in that county pending the coming into operation of the Truskmore station in County Sligo.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telefís Éireann Reception in Donegal.
82.
The answer is no. The issue of a television licence does not guarantee the licensee satisfactory reception of the Telefís Éireann programmes. Legally, no person in this country may hold an unlicensed television set and the statutory regulations which came into force on 1st January, 1962, do not provide for the issue of licences free of charge or at a reduced rate.
Do I understand the Minister to say that the payment of licence duty does not guarantee reception?
That is right.
That is taking money under false pretences. The particular people the Minister is trying to "cod" are the poor unfortunate people of Donegal.
A licence fee is taken out under Section 3 (1) of the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1926, which reads:
Subject to the exceptions hereinafter mentioned, no person shall keep or have in his possession anywhere in Saorstát Éireann or in any ship or aircraft to which this section applies any apparatus for wireless telegraphy save in so far as such keeping or possession is authorised by a licence granted under this Act and for the time being in force.
So, therefore, by paying a wireless receiving licence, one may have a television set?
You are obliged to have the licence.
Yes, for a wireless receiving set. The mere holding of a wireless receiving set enables one to keep in his possession a television receiving apparatus.
No.
The Minister is quoting from a section and I am trying to construe it.
There are regulations under the 1961 Act which authorise it.
The Minister is now letting the cat out of the bag.
No. There is no necessity to let any cat out of a bag.
The Minister is only getting restitution from Donegal for the £500,000 they got out of the Road Fund.
Is it true that you must pay a licence fee if you have only an aerial?
That is a different question altogether.
Question No. 83 postponed.