Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

An Post has not made a formal decision. There have been indications that it wishes to get out of non-core business to concentrate on its core business. It has indicated, at least informally, that it is considering getting out of licence fee collection. That would require amending legislation but no formal proposal has come to me or my Department in that respect. If it were to get out of the business of licence fee collection, the business would have to be put to public tender.

The Senator is correct that there is a high degree of compliance. In the last two years, particularly since we started discussions with RTE about its financial position and in the context of the commitments RTE gave under the licence fee increase, it was decided to bring together, on an ongoing basis, representatives of An Post, RTE and the Department to ensure licence fee collection would be improved. If there were any new moves from a legislative point of view, they would be proposed to me in order to address some of the existing deficiencies. I guarantee the Senator that, regardless of the system, every effort will be made to ensure full compliance.