TV licence fee collection may be outsourced

The collection of the TV licence fee may be outsourced to a private company in a bid to stamp out widespread evasion that is costing RTÉ up to €40m in lost revenue each year.

An Post is currently responsible for enforcement and collection of the €160 annual fee, although it is estimated that around 16% of households with a television set do not have a licence.

The Office of Government Procurement has now sought expressions of interest from companies that can provide collection and enforcement systems with a view to potentially outsourcing the service.