Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

The amount of revenue collected from television licences to date in 2008 is just under €186 million. This revenue is made up of €141 million in respect of direct sales by An Post and €45 million paid by the Department of Social and Family Affairs for the issuing of free lifetime licences. In negotiating the annual target sales to be reached by An Post, my Department factors in a target of a 1% increase in the overall licensee base as a means of reducing the level of evasion. I am not in a position to accurately estimate the number of unlicensed televisions.

The television licence fee forum, which comprises representatives of my Department, An Post, RTE and the Department of Social and Family Affairs, was established in November 2007. It is examining the efficiency of the present television licence fee collection system. Part of its remit is to discuss ways of tackling evasion and to agree a methodology which all parties can agree on in respect of the calculation of evasion. The Broadcasting Bill 2008, when enacted, will allow for the introduction of different classes of licences, which may alleviate some of the reasons for evasion. Some people will not buy a licence if they think they will not get a full year's value out of it. Owners of holiday homes and people who know they will become eligible for a free licence during the year are among those who may decide not to purchase a licence. The loss of revenue that results from people's failure to buy a licence could be resolved with the introduction of partial licences.

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