Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 317: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if persons who are technically unable to view any Irish stations, receive an exemption from paying their television licence, in view of the fact that it is not used for that purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29580/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The legislation which takes effect in relation to the requirement to hold a television licence is provided for in Section 140 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 which defines a television set as "any electronic apparatus capable of receiving and exhibiting television broadcasting services broadcast for general reception (whether or not its use for that purpose is dependent on the use of anything else in conjunction with it) and any software or assembly comprising such apparatus and other apparatus".

In effect, if you own a television set in Ireland, you must have a current television licence for that set. That said, if specific persons are unable to view Irish television stations, there may be a problem with the reception of the signal in these circumstances. Accordingly, this is a technical issue which the parties affected may seek to address with RTÉ Networks Limited who are charged with addressing these signal reception issues and I, as Minister have no function in this area.