Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 31 May 1995

Vol. 453 No. 7

Written Answers. - Free Television Licence Scheme.

Seamus Brennan

Ceist:

102 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to provide a scheme for a reduced TV licence fee for viewers who are registered as deaf; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10050/95]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

The free television licence scheme is one of the free schemes administered by my Department which also include the free electricity allowance, the free natural gas allowance and the free telephone rental allowance. The purpose of these schemes is to encourage elderly or disabled people living alone on limited means to continue to live in their own homes instead of going into residential care.

In order to qualify, an applicant must be in receipt of a social welfare type payment and satisfy the living alone conditions of the schemes. Those who are registered as deaf would qualify under the free television licence scheme if they are in receipt of an invalidity pension from my Department or a disabled person's maintenance allowance from the health board and meet the living alone conditions.

The present free television licence scheme was extended in this year's budget to provide a free colour television licence for all recipients. An extension of the scheme on the lines suggested by the Deputy would involve additional expenditure which could only be considered in a budgetary context. I should mention that the free schemes referred to above currently cost about £59 million a year and are availed of by over 200,000 people.