A poll published by the Mail on Sunday in the wake of the RTÉ payments scandal indicated that just 25% of those polled believe that paying for a TV license ought to remain compulsory. 63% believe that it ought not be a legal requirement.
Of course, many people have already decided for various reasons not to pay the annual €160 fee. According to the latest figures that I could find, over 15% of those who were supposed to have a TV licence in 2020 did not have one.
In 2020 and 2021, inspections were suspended for periods due to the lockdowns. In 2022, RTÉ estimated its “losses” from evasion at around €65 million.
An Post had applied for 7,507 court summons in 2021, of which 4,328 were brought to court. There was a substantial increase in the number of summons applied for in 2022 which were almost twice the 2021 total at 14,915. This resulted in 9,610 court cases.
I’m guessing that there may be an even greater number in the wake of the obvious public disgust at the goings on regarding payments.
I had intended to be one of those who was pinched over non-payment had the Inspector called. I had decided not to renew the licence and it was probably only a matter of time before they caught up with me. Well, the Inspector did call, last August, but instead of meeting myself who was not at home, the door was opened to him by a family member.
This was enough for my daughter to be issued with several demands for payment – even though she has never had a TV licence and is not the householder.
An Post had already sent me a notice that I might be liable for prosecution for non-payment, but following the visit they issued a notice against my daughter.
Several emails were exchanged in which I pointed out that they had already sent me a notice and which concluded with An Post stating that even though they accepted that I was the householder and previous licence holder, that it was the person who spoke to the inspector who would be liable should I not buy a new one – something I told them I had no intention of doing.
They then issued further demands to my daughter which culminated in a summons to appear in court on May 19 this year. I had informally consulted several people in the legal profession, although none of them had direct experience of cases involving non-payment of TV licence, and their advice was for us to turn up in court with proof of house ownership and previous licence. They seemed confident that this would be sufficient to have my daughter’s case dismissed and that An Post would have to take proceedings against myself.
My daughter, however, tiring of their nonsense, visited An Post and paid for a new licence in my name, along with another €130. This led to the summons being withdrawn a week before she was due to appear in court. She gave me the licence, which has remained in the state below since then. And which I now intend to send back to them.
My decision not to pay the licence fee, and not to pay any fine that may arise from any future court proceedings for failure to do so, predates what was going on with payments to Ryan Tubridy. Indeed, I outlined some of the reasons for that on Gript just days before my daughter received the notice from An Post. Which I am certain was just a happy coincidence.
As stated at the time. and I still believe it to be true, there is a case for public broadcasting. Minority interests should be catered for and I would not object to paying a separate fee for TG4 for example. And while RTÉ has certainly “dumbed down,” the other domestically – as in physically – based TV channel is no advertisement, pardon the pun, for TV stations owned by media moguls.
However, from a personal perspective I feel no more obliged to pay for a TV company that is clearly ideologically and culturally biased, that I would to pay for the upkeep of the Irish Times or take out a subscription to one of the left liberal parties.
In the same way, Irish language activists and opponents of a less subtle censorship in the 1970s, 80s and 90s felt no obligation to pay to be basically lectured to if not insulted.
Besides, the only time I watch either is when there they are showing GAA matches, and the GAA itself seems to be complicit in bringing about a situation where watching matches will become predominantly another payment partly to RTÉ.
So, no licence for me, thanks. Enjoy the extra few euro extracted from me through sending summonses to my daughter, because it will be the last you ever get.