Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if old age pensioners will be exempt from any proposed new charge for the use of televisions. [4263/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the current TV licence system is such that, except for certain classes of social welfare recipients, if you own a television set in Ireland you are liable to pay a television licence. An Post is currently responsible for the collection of television licence fees and for identifying those persons who have unlicensed televisions sets.

The Programme for Government commits to examining the role and collection of the TV licence fee in light of existing and projected convergence of technologies and to transforming the TV licence into a household based Public Broadcasting Charge to be applied to all households and applicable businesses, regardless of the device used to access content. The issue of exemptions under any new Irish system is one which will have to be given detailed consideration when the type of model to be developed is agreed. That said, the current list of exemptions from the TV licence is likely to continue to apply to pensioners and those people who are entitled to the Household Benefit Package.