asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend the free television licence scheme to all long term social welfare recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free Television Licence Scheme.
8.
The free television licence scheme is one of several schemes, including the free electricity allowance scheme and the free telephone rental allowance scheme, which are provided for persons who are elderly or permanently incapacitated, who are receiving certain social security-type payments and who are either living alone or only with a dependent spouse or other excepted person.
The extension of the free television licence scheme to all long-term social welfare recipients would have implications also for the other schemes and would be very costly. There are no plans for such an extension at present. As already announced, however, I am extending entitlement under the free schemes to certain categories not at present covered, namely European Community pensioners living here and people in receipt of certain occupational injuries benefits.
The question is prompted by the number of fines that are being imposed on people who do not have television licences simply because they are poor. There was a case last November of a 42 year old mother of three being sent to jail for three days because she owed £4 of a fine which had been imposed for not having a television licence. In view of that would the Minister not reconsider his position on this and introduce some form of relief in relation to television licences for those on social welfare and indeed those on low pay, particularly in view of the fact that it is proposed to increase fines for not having television licences to £500?
I appreciate the difficulty the Deputy raises. The problem that exists is that if the free television licence scheme was to be extended to those in receipt of long term social welfare payments it would cost approximately £11 million a year. The Deputy can see that would be quite a costly extension. In the meantime every effort should be made to solve these problems through the existing arrangements but I appreciate the difficulty.
The problem is that there are no existing arrangements to deal with situations like this. A person who does not have the money for a television licence cannot get that money, for instance, from the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. People can, if they are knowledgeable enough, go to a local TD or indeed write themselves to the Minister for Justice seeking relief from the fine but very few people, particularly those on low pay or on social welfare payments, are aware of this right. Will the Minister agree to look again at the question of facilitating or assisting people, particularly those on long term social welfare, to avoid them having to appear in court simply because they are poor.
I appreciate that problem in particular and I will certainly consider it.