Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 927: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the details of his proposal to prevent the imprisonment of persons who are fined for failure to pay television licences. [12221/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The issue of imprisonment of persons who have failed to pay a court imposed fine is a matter that will fall to be addressed in the first instance by my colleague the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in the forthcoming Fines Bill. However, I have introduced two new provisions in the Broadcasting Bill 2008, which I anticipate will reduce the necessity for criminal proceedings in respect of the payment of the television licence fee.

The first provision in section 149 of the Bill proposes an on-the-spot fine mechanism to be deployed at the option of the television licence collection agent. In essence this mechanism provides that if a person buys a television licence within a set time period and pays a penalty equivalent to one third of the annual television licence fee then no court proceedings will be taken, thus reducing the necessity for court proceedings.

The second provision which is proposed in section 150(3) empowers the television licence collection agent to pursue as a civil debt an amount owing in respect of a television licence fee.

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 928: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the situation in other countries as to the process for collection of television licence fees; and his views on the system, such as in Greece, where the licence fee is collected on an instalment basis with the electricity bill. [12222/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I am aware of the process for collection of television licence fees in other countries, including Greece to which the Deputy refers. In that country, as well as in some other European countries, the licence fee is a levy calculated as a percentage of the electricity bill which is then added to the bill. While such a system may have an advantage in terms of a reduction in collection costs and possibly evasion rates, I am of the opinion that there are a number of disadvantages to this model, including the linking of the funding of public service broadcasting output to electricity consumption. Our model does share an element in common to these other systems, however, in that it does allow for the payment of the licence fee on an instalment basis.