Mr. Kieran Mulvey:

I do not know what I can offer that would bring greater enlightenment on that issue. An Post made a submission to the committee at the time it was being discussed. I am not up to speed on the detail of it. We will still be operating the TV licence collection system. Some people in the organisation would perhaps say there is not great value in doing so. My argument is that we cannot keep asking the Government to give us services and then, when there is a service, we say we do not want it. Our loss on this service is up to €2 million this year, between the whole debacle that happened and so on. I do not know whether we are getting anything back in the new subsidies being given to RTÉ. I am not up to date on the detail of that. What I do not like is that it is up to us to pursue the prosecutor element of it. I do not like the negativity of us, or any entity, being associated with taking people to court. One does not want that kind of image. However, it goes with the territory.

Overall, on the TV licence, I would say the current system is established. The Government made a decision in this regard. People would have a reaction to Revenue collecting the fee. We have been through the taxation issues arising out of the water charges. We would not want the same to happen again. People will live with an existing arrangement but will sometimes have a difficulty with a totally new arrangement. If it becomes strictly mandatory, they react to it. As we always used to say about Irish people, they will walk on paths until a sign is put up telling them not to walk on the grass; then they will walk on the grass. They do not want to be told what to do. It is part of the psychology of the people.

I thank the Deputy for his support and encouragement and his acknowledgment of what our postmen and postwomen are doing. I am glad to hear, which Deputy Smith also mentioned, that our public relations team is performing excellently. That is good. I am glad the team members are here to hear that.