TV Licence Query

Stripes99

Hi 👋

Now that the tv licence has been or will be scrapped, for one who has not paid for 2024, and one has been summoned to court, would you still pay the fee + fines even though they are doing away with it?

Oscar_Madison

TV licence is still a requirement - there’s “talk” of doing away with it but if your court case comes before it’s scrapped then you need to proceed accordingly

Stripes99

If court case is after its scrapped, that's my question... thank you

the_amazing_raisin

If it were to be scrapped (and there's no guarantee it will be) there'll be a cut off where new licenses will not be issued

Current licenses up to that date will still be valid and will just be allowed to expire. It's possible there'll be some sort of refund for licenses that extended beyond that date, but that'll be a question for future boards members

Up to that point you're still liable for a license. If you decide not to pay you're breaking the law regardless of whether the licence is scrapped later

If your court case is after the licence is scrapped then you've still broken the law and will be liable for any fines due. It's possible there'll be an amnesty for fines and you'll just need to pay the licence fee plus any court fees, but I wouldn't bet on it

JVince

I've changed to monthly direct debit. If it changes its a single month.

https://www.tvlicence.ie/home/direct-debit.html#moneyTakenFromAcc

coylemj

Sounds like the OP fell for the Cork Beo clickbait headline. It came up on my Google newsfeed, I did not click it.

If you prefer facts to fiction, don't click on anything from Dublin Live, Galway Beo or Cork Beo. The story seldom matches the headline and if it does, it's probably fake news or it's based on wild and unfounded speculation.

Stripes99

Really?? I genuinely didn't know this!! Is the 400k "golden handshske" in rte the last few days.... is that true/real??

28064212

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122255071#Comment_122255071

I assume you're referring to this Cork Beo article: "TV Licence to be axed as Government considers cheaper 'media charge'"? While the rest of your statement may be true, I wouldn't judge any media outlet based on reporting around the scrapping of the TV licence, every government for years has been repeatedly talking it up, ref: Irish Examiner, January 2012 - "Broadcasting charge due in 2014 at earliest"

@Stripes99, even if the TV Licence was scrapped before the court date (extremely unlikely), what matters is what the law was when the offence occurred. If I'm brought to court for speeding at 75km/h in a 50km/h zone on January 1st, it doesn't matter if the limit was brought up to 80km/h on January 2nd. I will be charged with breaking the law on January 1st.

It's possible the government could include a specific amnesty as part of a new legislation, or the DPP could deem that prosecution of pre-legislation crimes is not in the public interest, but relying on either of those would be foolhardy at best

Stripes99

I'm just so frustrated, life is hard enough, **** things happen, you try your best, then you see this ..and it makes me think why do these top guys always get away with it https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2024/0612/1454413-committee-rte/

coylemj

I assume you're referring to this Cork Beo article: "TV Licence to be axed as Government considers cheaper 'media charge'"? While the rest of your statement may be true, I wouldn't judge any media outlet based on reporting around the scrapping of the TV licence, every government for years has been repeatedly talking it up, ref: Irish Examiner, January 2012 - "Broadcasting charge due in 2014 at earliest"

Media speculation about something the Govt might do has, as you correctly pointed out, being going on for years and not just about the TV licence. My point is that the headline 'TV Licence to be axed' was grossly misleading because it states that something specific is about to happen and that is just not true - there is no plan in place to scrap the TV Licence.

I don't care if the relevant minister comes out tomorrow and says: 'we're not ruling out scrapping the TV Licence' or 'everything is on the table' - that headline is a lie. As often happens with that 'news' organisation, the story doesn't deliver, it's BS clickbait.

geographica

If this was stopped being paid about year and half ago, a few standard “demand” letters from An Post received but nothing for months,

If one wanted to restart paying it would one be asked for the amounts that wasn’t paid, “arrears” or just continue like this is day one?

Orban6

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123364750#Comment_123364750

Just start paying as if it's day one. If asked, just say you had no TV for the last year.

geographica

do they go after you for not filling out a declaration though?

Minier81

I do not belive they go after blank periods. I have a few years with none after previously having one when we moved house. Just get a licence now.

geographica

so just apply like you never had one?