Hotel owners have expressed strong opposition to any plans to increase the licence fee for commercial premises with multiple televisions, citing it as unacceptable due to already high business costs.
The proposal by An Post includes additional charges for commercial premises, such as bookies, bars, and hotels, with fees of €169.50 for the first 15 screens and additional charges for every five screens thereafter, which the IHF deemed as unacceptable.
Other measures being considered for TV licence reforms include shifting responsibility to property owners, updating the licence holder database, implementing a universal access code for licensed media, and transitioning away from traditional inspector visits.
Minister of State James Lawless is evaluating the proposals before presenting them to the Cabinet for approval, with the goal of broadening the base of contributors, potentially reducing costs for ordinary households through increased revenue from commercial premises.
