Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 14 Oct 1997

Vol. 481 No. 4

Written Answers. - Television Licence Fees.

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

203 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the total of television and radio licence fees paid to RTE in each of the years from 1995 to date in 1997; and the percentage this represented in each of these years of the running costs of RTE. [16122/97]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

The requirement to licence sound broadcsting receivers was abolished from 1 September 1972 by the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1926 (Section 3) (Exemption of sound broadcasting receivers) Order, 1972.

The total grant-in-aid paid to RTE in respect of television licence fees in 1995 and 1996 is available from the annual report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and appropriation accounts copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann in accordance with section 3 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act, 1993. The amount of the grant-in-aid paid to RTE was £51.247,000 in 1995 and £55,336,000 in 1996. In the period January to 30 September 1997 a total grant-in-aid of £42,500,000 was paid to RTE.

The audited accounts for the RTE Group show that expenditure on broadcasting activities amounted to £136,553,000 in 1995 and £146,581,000 in 1996. RTE state that expenditure in the period January to 30 September 1997 was £110,102,000.

The percentage that the grant-in-aid paid to RTE in respect of televison licence fees represented of the expenditure of the RTE Group on broadcasting activities was 37.5 per cent in 1995, 37.8 per cent in 1996 and 38.6 per cent for the period January to 30 September 1997.