Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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167. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline her views on providing free television licences for pensioners from the North who have homes here and contribute positively to the economy here, in line with pensioners from here, who are currently exempt from paying for the licence. [5627/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department will spend approximately €227 million this year on the household benefits package, including more than €54 million for the free television licence scheme, for approximately 415,000 customers.

Free television licences are available as part of the household benefits package for people who are permanently resident within this jurisdiction and who are over 70 or in receipt of a qualifying payment. People from Northern Ireland who live within this jurisdiction on a permanent basis are entitled to apply for the household benefits package.

The package is not available, however, in respect of houses which are not an applicant’s principal residence. I have no plans to amend the scheme to provide for free television licences for holiday homes.