Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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64. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has considered a different model for the collection of the television licence such as pay at point of purchase. [37628/18]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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71. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of reforming television licence fee collection, tackling licence fee evasion and creating a more sustainable funding model for public sector broadcasting. [37629/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 71 together.

The current level of TV licence evasion is estimated to be 14.1%. While the rate has fallen from 15.3% at the end of 2013, it is still very high and equates to a loss of €40m per annum to public service broadcasting.

To address this issue, my Department has been working with An Post and RTÉ on an on-going basis to ensure that the TV licence collection system is working as effectively as possible. Measures such as marketing campaigns, more evening and weekend inspection and appointment of additional temporary inspectors are just some of the initiatives that have been utilised to enhance sales and improve compliance rates.

While these measures are important steps, I believe that the current system needs to be reformed. As the Deputy will be aware, I obtained Government approval last year to draft a number of legislative amendments to the Broadcasting Act 2009, including amendments for the tendering of TV Licence fee collection. The proposed amendments were considered under Pre-Legislative Scrutiny by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action & Environment and their report was published on March 8. The Bill is currently being drafted by Parliamentary Counsel and is included as a priority on the Government's Legislative Programme.

As the Deputy is also aware, I requested the Committee to examine the longer term issue of the future funding of public service media and the Committee published their report at the end of November 2017.

Following consideration of the recommendations made in that report, Government approval was received in July 2018 to establish a Working Group on the Future Funding of Public Service Broadcasting.  The Working Group will examine a number of options to support future funding and the reform of television licence collection and it is intended that it will report to me in Quarter 1 2019.  

The option of registering for a television licence at the point of purchase is not, however, under consideration. This practice was in place previously but was repealed in the Broadcasting Act 2009 due to the burden it placed on traders and the poor level of information recorded. I have no plans to re-introduce this method of recording data.