Rabbitte: Proposed broadcasting charge 'not a new household charge'

The Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte has said people who pay their TV licence have nothing to fear from the proposed new broadcasting charge.

Mr Rabbitte told the Dáil yesterday that RTE is losing €25m a year in licence fee payments, because of evasion.

The proposed new charge would apply to people who view television on their computers and smart-phones and would be collected along with the new household charge.

This morning, the Minister said there will be no change for most people.

Mr Rabbitte said: "Anybody paying their TV licence has nothing to fear at all from this change, if it proceeds, because it is to replace the TV licence.

"This is not a new household charge, this is to replace the existing television licence so that if you are already paying your television licence, you have nothing to fear. If you are evading it, then I am afraid you had better go to the post office or the credit union."