asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether persons who keep 405-line TV sets in their premises after 405-line broadcasts from RTE cease will be obliged to pay TV licences.
2.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - TV Transmissions.
1.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will indicate, in view of RTE's intention to cease television broadcasting from the Kippure and Truskmore transmitters on 405-line at the end of the present year, the steps he proposes to take to assist those who will be affected, many of whom are elderly people in the poorer section of the community.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Question Nos. 1 and 2 together.
The only people who will be affected by the decision which I announced in March, 1974, to cease RTE 405-line transmissions are those who still have sets capable of receiving 405-line transmissions only. I understand that manufacture of these sets ceased here about 1963 so that all of them must be over 11 years old and most, if not all of them, are probably overdue for replacement at this stage.
There is no statutory provision under which I could assist those who retain their 405-line only sets after RTE cease to transmit on 405-lines and such persons will still be obliged to have a current television licence. Elderly persons may, of course, be eligible for a "free" licence under the scheme operated by the Department of Social Welfare for certain categories of pensioners.
Is the Minister aware that within a radius of 12 or 14 miles of Kippure some people have dual sets capable of 405 and 625 systems and that it is impossible to get 625? Villages like Glenmalure depend entirely on 405 and if that channel is withdrawn these people will be without any signal unless the transposer is put into operation.
I will look into the question which the Deputy has put and I will supply the answer to him.
I raised this with the Department with a view to erecting a transposer. The case is most urgent. Is the Minister aware that people in this area can avail of 625 and 405?
The Deputy has already put that question.