Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 18 April 2013

Public Accounts Committee

2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Chapter 20: Broadcasting Fund
Broadcasting Fund Financial Statements 2011
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland Financial Statements 2011

12:40 pm

Mr. Aidan Dunning:

It is more to do with building up the database. The intention is that it will be a household public broadcasting charge. We have to do that. There are data protection issues involved. We have to build up the database. There is other detailed work also. We have to take account of people, for instance, who are entitled to the free television licence, and I imagine that position would continue to operate. We have to ensure that the technical work we undertake deals with that. We know also from experience in other jurisdictions where this has been tried and brought in that it takes some time to do these practical jobs.