Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 June 2022
453. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will provide a breakdown of the number of television licences paid by households and businesses; and the number of television licences paid by the Department of Social Protection household benefits package. [30055/22]
View answer454. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount of revenue collected from the television licence fee in 2021; and a detailed numerical breakdown of the proceeds allocated to RTÉ, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland Sound and Vision and An Post. [30056/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 454 together.
In accordance with the provisions of the Broadcasting Act, 2009, An Post act as issuing agent for television licence fee collection. The total number of licences sold by An Post in 2021 was 951,454, with resultant revenue from licence sales amounting to €150.9m. In addition, the average number of free licences issued by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) during 2021 was 478,482. The amount received by my Department from DSP in respect of these free licences amounted to €69.8m. Total licence fee receipts in 2021 therefore amounted to €220.7m.
With regard to the disbursement of television licence fee revenues, the Broadcasting Act makes provision for the payment of a commission to An Post in respect of its work in issuing television licences. The Act also provides for the disbursement of 7% of net licence fee receipts (i.e. total receipts less commission paid to An Post) to the Broadcasting Fund, administered by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), which supports both the Sound and Vision (S&V) and Archiving Schemes. The balance of licence fee revenue is paid to RTÉ. The licence fee distribution in 2021 was €9.9m to An Post, €14.7m to BAI and €196.1m to RTÉ. Both the BAI and RTÉ provide further detail of how this funding is spent in their Annual Reports and Accounts. The 2021 Reports will be published in the Autumn.
