I thank the Chair for giving me this opportunity to raise on the Adjournment a matter that I have been following for the last couple of years.
Primary schools should be exempt from paying television licences where television sets are purchased by the school authorities to show educational videos and to allow school children an opportunity to view educational programmes.Many school management boards are furious because not alone have they to provide the television set from their own financial resources but they also have to pay £70 each year. Many boards of management are extremely reluctant to do so.
Many financial demands are made on parents of primary school children, even taking account of the vast improvement in the capitation grant in the last year or two. Some parents find it almost impossible to pay their contributions for necessary facilities such as playing areas, shelters, books, outings etc. In many instances the straw that breaks the camel's back is the payment of the television licence fee. Parents and teachers are now shouting stop.
An irony is that many Government Departments, including the Departments of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the Environment, Social Welfare, and the Department of Education itself frequently send educational videos to schools. It does not make sense that small schools should be fined £70 to show such videos.
I understand that some schools in disadvantaged areas are already exempt from such payments. I ask the Minister to extend this exemption to every primary school in the State — that is not to say that every primary school has such an apparatus. However, it is only reasonable and fair, that in the case of schools that have taken the initiative to buy a television, the boards of management should not be responsible for paying the television licence fee. If ever I saw a case for exemption, it is this.
