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Screengrab/RTE Player

TV licence required to watch BBC iPlayer in the UK, but no such rules on the way for the RTÉ Player

Minister Denis Naughten is bringing forward plans to crackdown on TV licence fee evasion this autumn.

THERE ARE NO plans to introduce a new licence system for the RTÉ digital player, according to the Minister for Communications, Denis Naughten.

New TV licensing rules in the UK came into effect yesterday, making it illegal for viewers to watch catch-up shows on BBC iPlayer without paying the licence fee.

However, Ireland will not follow in its neighbour’s footsteps.

The previous government committed to introducing a public service broadcasting charge to replace the TV licence fee.

At the time, the argument was made that people are now watching television across multiple platforms, no longer watching live programming as often and catching up with programmes on digital players.

However, Naughten confirmed there are no plans to replace the current television licence fee with an alternative licence.

No fee increase

The minister also confirmed to TheJournal.ie that there will be no increase to the TV licence fee – currently €160 – at this time.

The licence fee has not increased since 2008.

However, Naughten says he does have plans to tackle the high number of people who are evading the fee.

A spokesperson for the minister said Naughten “recognises the challenges that face the existing TV licence system and, in that context, he is working with his officials to examine measures that might be taken with a view to strengthening the system, with an emphasis on reducing the current, unacceptable levels of TV licence evasion”.

In the next Dáil term, Naughten plans to present a plan to Cabinet for approval that aims to tackle the issue.

Naughten said:

There is large scale evasion. Ireland is three times higher than the level of evasion in the United Kingdom and in Germany costing up to €40 million per year.
I recently had a meeting with An Post and expressed my concern.
I will be bringing specific proposals to Cabinet in the Autumn that will tackle the unacceptable rate of evasion and improve the overall operation of the TV licence system.

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64 Comments
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    Mute Brian O'Loughlin
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 6:48 AM

    So he wants to improve the overall system? How about the government stop subsidising RTE when they run out of money despite paying massive salaries? Or how about they give other private TV and Radio companies a fairer percentage of the licence fee instead of giving the majority to RTE, or better still…insist on better programme making that benefits the nation….(Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Operation Transformation don’t count!) Maybe then you’ll lower the licence evasion numbers

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    Mute Unitedpeople
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 12:42 PM

    Well said!

    25
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    Mute Enda D. Reynolds
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    Sep 3rd 2016, 8:18 PM

    just how many ‘people’ are in united people?

    1
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    Mute BJBcreative
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 7:07 AM

    Pay up your fee to pay Irish Stars such as the mighty Ryan Tuberty. RTE is an out dated money pit move them out of monrose sell the land!

    223
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    Mute Patricia McCarthy
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 11:10 AM

    @BJBcreative. Well said. Creative thinking at its finest. I concur. Send Tubridy and Co. to the Blasket Islands. Selling the Land in Montrose is the way forward. That Land must be worth a fortune. Time to give something back to the long suffering people that have been forced to support the RTE ‘players’ for decades.

    53
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    Mute henry cecil
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 6:58 AM

    Nice one I’ll be picking up a bottle of blue nun this evening to celebrate this awesome news!

    156
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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:19 PM

    So if i dont use it can i be excluded from paying tv licences?

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    Mute John
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 7:08 AM

    Carlsberg don’t make programmes for RTE, but if they did, they still wouldn’t be rehashed British programmes with non-celebrities

    151
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    Mute John Pepper
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:28 AM

    Probability

    21
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    Mute mickmc
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 6:59 AM

    Simple solution. Scrap the license fee and bring it in as a subscription service like sky and link that to the player too. If you want it then you pay for it, for most people here who CLAIM they don’t watch it, it will not be a problem.

    133
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    Mute Daniel Wilson
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 9:03 AM

    That’s not really a simple solution. In fact it’s got to be the most complicated. It would cost millions to implement. Ideal, but not simple

    15
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    Mute Name
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 6:54 AM

    The BBC are anal about their iplayer. Doing it here would only lose advertising revenue for the greedy goats in RTE. Turkeys voting for Christmas etc. And God forbid we’d be able to watch a programme on the platform without an hour of ads beforehand!

    124
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    Mute Niall Donnelly
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 6:45 AM

    Don’t watch Irish stations. U.K. Stations are better and most are HD.

    122
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    Mute Bottleneck
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 6:56 AM

    But I don’t really care about the weather in Colchester..

    73
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    Mute Chief
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:37 AM

    13 – cloudy early on, should brighten up around midday with a hint of a few showers later

    29
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    Mute Sean
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 9:05 AM

    Irish channels are HD also.

    16
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    Mute Brendan Mason
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 6:53 AM

    Apple we don’t want your money. Life sentences for TV spongers. More advertising for RTE. Same people always carry the can.

    121
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    Mute Deaglán MacThóirdealbaigh
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:03 AM

    You forgot to say something about Pat Hickey there.

    40
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    Mute David Thomas
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:34 AM

    Pat hickey

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    Mute luke sarpish
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 7:58 AM

    I pay a monthly Sky subscription which includes RTE. I don’t see why I should have to pay an extra €160. I never watch the muck anyway.

    119
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    Mute Thommo's Big Nose
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 11:49 AM

    Sing it.

    23
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    Mute icaniwont
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 7:12 AM

    If all are future actions are based on what our neighbours do, does this mean we will leave the EU as well?

    118
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    Mute Thommo's Big Nose
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 11:48 AM

    We’re not doing what they’re doing. Try reading the article next time.

    11
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    Mute Maurice Bourke
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 7:34 AM

    Americans always find it amazing that owning and watching a TV is illegal unless you have a special licence. It is hilariously stupid.

    111
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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 7:52 AM

    The U.S. Is the odd one by not having a licence system not us. Many more countries have it than don’t.

    19
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    Mute Bilbo Baggins
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:00 AM

    Yeh but you can buy an ar15 assault rifle in their equivalent of Supervalu so what they find funny bout a TV licence wouldn’t bother me too much.

    70
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    Mute John Ryan
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:53 AM

    I have no interest in the weight/lifestyle issues of Brenda Donoghue, Elaine Crowley & the others on that tripe presented by the vile Kathryn Thomas. Bottom of the barrel really being scraped.

    79
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    Mute Chlorines72
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:02 AM

    RTE Player is crap anyway. Full of ads and can’t use chromecast with it.

    79
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    Mute Bilbo Baggins
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:16 AM

    And stalls like a mudder fker!!

    52
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    Mute Robin Basstard
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:06 AM

    Sometime I’m very confuddled by the clowns that are supposed to be running this country.
    So the minister has plans to recoup the €40 MILLION in TV licence evasion every year…because the plebs can’t be seen to get away with not paying €160 a year, and at the same time the clowns plan to turn down €13 BILLION…because it’s far to much…Sir

    75
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    Mute David Evans
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:42 AM

    I have been living in the U.K. for 4 years now, and I use an internet connection instead of a conventional free-sat box/satellite. The BBC iPlayer service is light-years ahead of the RTE Player, besides working 100% of the time, it also allows you to restart a live programme (should you miss 5 minutes of it). Oh, and no ads…There’s been several occasions I wanted to use the RTE player abroad (going through an Irish VPN), to watch the likes of ‘Love/Hate’, ‘The Toy Show’ and the hurling, but it was like pot-luck trying to get it to work, not to mention the non-descriptive error messages. I have no idea what that RTE Player International is about, but from my understanding it just looks like a rip-off.

    66
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    Mute Unitedpeople
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 12:44 PM

    Like RTE generally – it is…

    21
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    Mute Eamon Mac Gowan
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:00 PM

    @David Evans,
    A grown man wanted to watch a toy show?

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    Mute David Evans
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:52 PM

    Bizarrely enough, yes. If you can imagine that…

    5
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    Mute Screaming Toddy
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 11:48 PM

    The RTE Player wouldn’t work abroad through a VPN? Cry me a river.

    1
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    Mute simon
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:53 AM

    Nobody should pay the licence. .it’s only a sly tax for the shttiest of broadcasting

    62
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    Mute Joey_Westland
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 10:26 AM

    They should make RTE subscription only and scrap the license fee.
    The only ones interested in RTE are media outlets who see it as a source of advertising revenue.

    61
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    Mute Bottleneck
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 6:41 AM

    3e is completely useless!!!
    We should get a new channel instead.

    60
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    Mute Willy
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:00 AM

    How to catch the little guy… The FG/FF/LIEBOUR way of governance…

    56
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    Mute niall
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 6:38 AM

    Wow, i feel so privileged

    52
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    Mute Boganity
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 7:27 AM

    A story about something thats NOT going to happen, that’s different !

    36
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    Mute duisigheire
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 9:52 AM

    got a postcard from An Post through the letterbox last week, “Late Late Show Competition Entry” to win a new Renault Car. Fill in name and address etc and freepost return….. Entrapment! :)

    42
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    Mute mickmc
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:20 AM

    Does anyone actually know of anyone who was ever prosecuted for not having a tv licence. I’m the only one I know with one. Put the renewal on the long finger for any more than a month and there letter coming out threatening to prosecute. On the other hand my next door neighbour who living in his house over 10 year never bought a license. He tell you once an inspector called he claimed he was a plumber doing work in the house and the owner was away. The inspector never called back.

    36
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    Mute Al Ca
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:59 AM
    18
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    Mute Screaming Toddy
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 11:50 PM

    She went to jail for disobeying an order from a judge.

    1
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    Mute Enda D. Reynolds
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    Sep 3rd 2016, 8:33 PM

    No she didn’t, she refused to pay the fine the judge levied on her within the set time period (usually 28 days)…so she got a ‘free trip ‘ to the joy by garda Car, re-emerged a few hours later and STILL hadn’t paid EITHER the license fee OR the fine…
    The more people that do that, the more economically prohibitive it will be to attempt collection, forcing faRTE to become ‘pay per view’…..then we’ll see the REAL figues!!
    Tubbs

    1
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    Mute just readin
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:39 AM

    I would like to see an opt out clause , where you pay 160 to charity instead of the license fee, as a statement of protest against what you may view as poor programming , if you feel RTE improves, you can opt back in again …

    35
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    Mute Patricia McCarthy
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 11:23 AM

    I hope all the Apple executives have paid their TV licence fee, or they might get caught for ‘large scale evasion’.

    26
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    Mute Ian Begley
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:01 AM

    If they brought it in then would they at least get rid of those fecking ads?

    26
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    Mute David Thomas
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 11:43 AM

    I doubt that. It would be used for payrises

    16
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    Mute Jimmy Boots
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 11:49 AM

    It wouldn’t make any difference that’s why it’s not in Ireland…does anyone actually watch the muck on rte? Anything decent they might show is available online…just shut it down for the love of god

    17
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    Mute Joey_Westland
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 12:04 PM

    ‘These special moments are brought to you by the TV License’
    This sort of nonsense.

    19
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    Mute Alex Carroll
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 9:48 AM

    RTE player us rubbish. You can get last week’s news but not football.

    16
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    Mute Zozzy Zozimus
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 8:44 AM

    Oh come on guys, quit pretending you didn’t just click into this article because you mistook the headline image for a screenshot of pornhub. We all know why we’re really here.

    13
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    Mute Aoife
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 4:00 PM

    Here we go. Another winge fest from rte. Perhaps if they didn’t have so meny overpaid and bloated departments they could save a few bob.me I’ve never paid for a licence.

    12
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    Mute Enda D. Reynolds
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 4:00 PM

    Are ANY of U aware that when a person is told they’ve a TV LICENSE EXEMPTION, Social Welfare actually BUY A LICENSE IN THAT PERSONS NAME?That way , they can ‘legitimately fund faRTE from the Social Welfare budget…this year, they ‘donated’ €52 million to faRTE, next year it’ll be €57 million………..
    If YOU are entitled to a ‘free tv license’ INFORM SOCIAL WELFARE U no longer have a TV and want a written acknowledgement U will NOT be receiving a ‘free’ license. ,
    Then join the Facebook page ‘TV license resistance Ireland’ and we’ll tell U how to LEGALLY and LAWFULLY deal with so called ‘inspectors’, including barring them from trespassing on Ur property, …say NOTHING to them, slam the door and above all, do NOT let them into Ur home.There are a host of ‘tools’ that will delay the issuing of a summons also….
    Perhaps most importantly, ALL offenses , be they motor, litter, theft, assault,murder, CIVIL OR CRIMINAL, require the State have PROOF of the alleged offense BEFORE U can be summonsed to Court to answer ANY questions….no proof, no need to answer questions.
    EXCEPT NO TV LICENSE , where U are invited into Court to effectively ‘prosecute Urself’, so we’ll inform U of Ur rights and how to get the case ‘thrown out’…….unless U’ve been silly enough to let he ‘inspector’ into Ur home…
    TV license resistance Ireland….and put a STOP to the Tubridy Tax, or license fee, from which the talentless bolli% is paid €485,000 a year. Every Year……….and keep the €50+ million IN Social Welfare
    Tubbs

    11
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    Mute Hugh
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 6:55 PM

    This ridiculous tax should be abolished. If RTE can’t compete in the real world without subsidisation, that’s their problem.

    7
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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 3:52 PM

    The add on the t.v. about having a license now states “you must have a t.v. license no matter what you watch or what device you watch it from”

    5
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    Mute Cathal P Forde
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 1:44 PM

    I only have freeview via a dish, no saorview so no Irish channels. I also don’t have Internet access at home. My TV licence is the same as everyone else but at €3 a week it’s good value. Ps. If a license inspector comes to your door they do not have any power to demand Id so lie if ya want. I just by license stamps every week

    5
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    Mute Enda D. Reynolds
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    Sep 3rd 2016, 8:28 PM

    If the tv license filth call to Ur door, refuse to answer it….
    If U get ‘caught out’ by a so called ‘inspector’, say NOTHING and slam the door but above all do NOT let them into Ur home under any circumstances
    If U receive a letter, keep it for later use
    If U receive a ‘Search warrant notice’ ignore that too
    If any part of the details are wrong do NOT notify them, it’ll be handy to have Ur case thrown out of court!!
    If U’re fined, simply refuse to pay it..U’ll have a few hours in the joy,but STILL not have bought a license OR paid a fine
    Change the name of the License fee to the Tubridy Tax…remember that talentless rodent is paid €485,000 a year

    1
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    Mute JustMade Ireland
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 2:04 PM

    With the vast majority of people watching other stuff online, it should be pay as you watch or you pay a 50 p for days use.

    5
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    Mute Abe Brennan
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 1:32 PM

    Blah blah

    3
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    Mute Abe Brennan
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    Sep 2nd 2016, 3:37 PM

    This news deserves better than blue nun.

    3
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