Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 4 Nov 1993

Vol. 435 No. 5

Written Answers. - Television Licences.

Peadar Clohessy

Question:

19 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the present level of licence fee collected throughout the country; the percentage of television sets that are unlicensed; the rate of detection of unlicensed television sets in this financial year; the way in which this compares with the previous year; and the cost of a television fee collection programme.

Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht (Mr. M. Higgins)

Under Statutory Instrument No. 421 of 1983, which was made under the provisions of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act, 1983, statutory responsibility for the collection of television licence fees was transferred to An Post. It is estimated that television licence fee revenue in 1993 will be £56.5 million.

I am advised by An Post that, as of 1 October 1993, the number of licences currently held, or outstanding for less than six months and expected to be renewed, is 929,325 and it is estimated that the number of households in possession of a television set and not holding a licence is about 99,000 giving an estimated evasion rate of 9.7 per cent.

In the first nine months of 1993 approximately 57,000 unlicensed television sets were detected by An Post compared to 65,000 for the same period in 1992.

On the basis that the sales target of 930,000 licences in 1993 is achieved An Post will be paid a fee of £6.2 million.