The cost of unpaid TV licences

Six EU member states have abolished the television licence. Six other member states never had a television licence, as many other countries outside the EU don’t.

Of the 16 EU member states who have a television licence, the €160 charge in Ireland is the sixth most expensive. But €60 of this subsidises ‘free’ television licences, not paid from central taxation and corporation tax, which RTÉ is liable for on the income it receives as a ‘grant-in-aid’ derived from the public.

Last year, 24% of the cost of our public service broadcasting was funded by central taxation to compensate for ‘free’ television licences.