The free television licence is received as part of the household benefits package (HHB) which also comprises of the electricity or gas allowance. The package is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. Widows and widowers aged from 60 to 65 whose late spouses had been in receipt of the household benefits package retain that entitlement.
The expenditure on the household benefits package for 2016 was €218 million. €52 million of the expenditure on household benefits in 2016 relates to payment of the free television licence element.
My Department is currently engaged with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment on determining appropriate funding arrangements for the scheme. These discussions have not included the options of no longer making a payments for the free television licence element of the house hold benefits package, nor the introduction of a certificate of exemption as an alternative to a free television licence.
If a decision was taken by the Government, to the effect that my Department would not pay the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment for the free television licence element of the house hold benefits package, it is unlikely that there would be any net expenditure savings as a result, as one would expect the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to reduce my department’s annual budget by the amount saved, and to increase the budget of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment by the same amount, as it would otherwise have a shortfall.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
