asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that, due to underpowered electricity supplies in parts of County Donegal, television reception is not possible and, if so, if he will consider reducing or remitting television licence fees.
Ceisteanna—Questions. - County Donegal Television Reception.
65.
I am aware that the ESB voltage drops at times in parts of Donegal, and in other parts of the country, and that this can result in loss of picture or rolling pictures on television sets although the transmissions are not affected. Remedying this situation is a matter for the ESB.
The answer to the second part of the question is "no".
Is the Minister aware that specifically in the Carrigans district this condition obtains for a considerable time, and despite repeated requests and complaints nothing to rectify the voltage problem has been done by the EB, nor anything promised for a considerable time. That means that television sets are obsolete, though licences are due.
As far as the ESB side of the matter is concerned, the Deputy will understand I cannot answer——
I have a question following to the Minister's colleague.
I should add for completeness that although I think the ESB supplies are the main difficulty, it is not entirely due to that. There is also a difficulty about transposers. The transposers in Letterkenny, Moville and Fanad are not entirely reliable. The provision of new transposers is included in the RTE three-to-four-year programme for improving reception in the country generally.
On the question of licence fees, there is no statutory provision for remission or waiving of licence fees on grounds of poor reception. It would be very difficult, as the Deputy will understand, to administer a scheme whereby the amount of a licence fee would depend on the type of reception available. Everyone would tend to have complaints if he knew he might get his fee reduced. The present position is that a licence fee is payable in respect of possession of wireless telegraphy apparatus, including an aerial, irrespective of whether the apparatus is being used. This means that anybody who holds a television set has to pay the same licence whether the reception is good or bad or whether he can receive one or several programmes.
Is the Minister aware that it is not a question of the quality of reception? In this area it is a question of not getting reception. In view of that and in spite of the laws that are there, could we take it that, without a guarantee being asked for, at the same time that that would be a fairly good defence, pending the work I hope the ESB are going to do as a result of the answer by the Minister's colleague in Transport and Power, and that their apparatus would not be confiscated, as the law normally would do?
I am sorry that some holders of television sets are not getting good reception or, as the Deputy says, any reception. As far as the ESB end of it is concerned, my colleague can answer for that. As far as RTE is concerned, I am hoping the new transposers to be included in the development programme will in due course improve reception and bring reception to those who do not have it at the moment. As regards what would be a good defence, I think I must leave that for the courts to decide.