Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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116. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the up-to-date figures for television licence renewal and new licences to the most recent week; how these compare with last year; the revenue differences; the percentage differences; the year-to-date total differences in each category; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55858/23]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The statutory basis for the current TV licence system is provided for under Part 9 of the Broadcasting Act 2009. The legislation also provides for An Post acting as the statutory issuing agent for licence fee collection.

The table below sets out sales data for TV licences from January to 10th December in 2022 and 2023. It also provides a breakdown of licence renewals and new licences, and it details the revenue obtained and the percentage changes.

The figures above exclude those 'free' licences issued to recipients of the Department of Social Protection Household Benefits Packages.

An Post, makes every effort to reduce evasion and in cases where a valid licence is not registered to an address, a number of reminders are issued followed by an inspector visit. Should a valid licence still not be produced, an application for court summons is progressed, although prosecution of licence evaders is a last resort.

As I have stated previously, public service content and public service broadcasting is a vital pillar of our society and indeed our democracy. As such it needs to be supported, and therefore I continue urge everyone who is required to have a TV licence to purchase or renew it so that the public service content which the TV licence supports, across all broadcasters, can continue to be provided for the benefit of us all.