Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 350: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the level of increase to consumers for all regulated services for which he has responsibility in terms of retail price; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23263/04]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The information sought by the Deputy, broken down by sector, is set out below and relates to the period since the formation of the Government in June 2002. I have not listed any service provided by my Department where the cost of the service has remained unchanged since then.

Communications: I have no responsibility for the level of retail prices in the communications and postal sectors. This responsibility falls within the remit of the independent regulator — the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg.

In relation to broadcasting, I now set the cost of a television licence based on an annual review of RTE's performance in the previous year. The price of a colour television licence increased from €107 in September 2001 to €152 in January 2004, an increase of 42%.

Energy: I have no function in relation to the price of electricity or gas. This function in relation to electricity was transferred to the independent regulator, the Commission for Energy Regulation, by the European Communities (Internal Market in Electricity) Regulations 2000, and in relation to gas by the Gas (Interim) (Regulation) Act 2002.

Inland Fisheries: Various licence fees are set out below. These fees are reinvested in the management of the fisheries by the central and regional fisheries boards. The licence fees were increased from 1 January 2004 to allow for inflation since they were last increased.

The commercial salmon, eel and oyster licence duties and the special local licence duties were last increased on 1 January 1988. The salmon, eel and molluscan shellfish dealers' licences duties were last increased on 1 January 1995. All increases were in line with inflation since the last increase, rounded up or down to the nearest €5.

Rod licences were last increased on dates specified in brackets, that is, dates in 1988 and in 1992. Rod licences were increased on 1 January 2003 and again on 1 January 2004 in line with inflation.