Brian Walsh (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

139. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of television licences issued in the years 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013. [19490/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The number of licences issued in any particular year is a combination of direct sales by An Post and ‘free licences’ issued by the Department of Social Protection. The number of TV licences issued on behalf of Social Welfare recipients varies according to the number of people eligible for the Household Benefits Package, and this can change from month to month.

The table below provides (i) the total number of licences sold by An Post in the year in question and (ii) the number of "free licences" recorded on the Department of Social Protection's database at the end of the year in question, which is a reflection of the number of free licences in existence at that point in time.