asked the Minister for Communications the value of broad-casting licence fees collected in each of the last five years; the projected value for 1989; and the value of the amount remitted to RTE in each of these years after the deduction of expenses.
Written Answers. - Broadcasting Licence Fees.
85.
The following Table shows the actual amounts collected and paid over to RTE in respect of TV licence fees for the years 1983-87. The figures for 1988 and 1989 are those which were used in compiling the Book of Estimates for both of those years.
|
Year |
TV Licence Fees Collected |
Amount Paid to RTE |
|
£m. |
£m. |
|
|
1983 |
29.901 |
27.000 |
|
1984 |
33.838 |
30.900 |
|
1985 |
38.165 |
33.100 |
|
1986 |
42.401 |
38.387 |
|
1987 |
45.971 |
40.151 |
|
*1988(Estimate) |
47.600 |
43.858 |
|
1989(Estimate) |
49.094 |
43.703 |
*The amount payable to RTE in 1988 includes a carry-over of £1.29 million collected in excess of the grant-in-aid provision in 1987.
86.
asked the Minister for Communications the value of cable licence fees collected in each of the last five years; the projected value in 1989; and the value of the amount remitted to RTE in each of these years after the deduction of expenses.
The information requested by the Deputy is as follows:
|
Year |
Gross licence fees |
Amounts remitted to R.T.E. |
|
£(000,s) |
£(000,s) |
|
|
1983 |
1,219 |
966 |
|
1984 |
1,259 |
1,423 |
|
1985 |
1,359 |
1,350 |
|
1986 |
1,299 |
1,280 |
|
1987 |
1,424 |
1,405 |
|
1988 |
1,248 |
1,068 |
|
(Estimated) |
||
|
1989 |
854 |
474 |
|
(Estimated) |
Section 20 of the Radio and Television Act, 1988, empowers the Minister for Communications to pay such amount us he considers reasonable, up to a limit of £500,000 in respect of the initial expenses of the Independent Radio and Television Commission. Section 20(3) stipulates that amounts paid shall be deducted from the receipts in respect of wired broadcast relay licence (cable) fees. The estimated payments to the commission, under this section are £151,000 in 1988 and £349,000 in 1989.