TV licence court prosecutions following inspections in same town in Donegal

A number of prosecutions for not having TV licences were brought before Ballyshannon District Court.

At the court sitting on Friday, April 17, TV licence inspector Michael O’Reilly gave evidence of calling to each of the properties, all of which were in Ballyshannon, on various dates in October 2025.

In some cases, a licence had since been obtained and the cases struck out. In others, a licence had been obtained without arrears being paid and there was still a loss of revenue to the state. In other cases, licences had still not been obtained. 

In each of the cases before the court, Mr O’Reilly said he was not aware of any previous convictions.

One of the defendants was present in court. She admitted having a television set without a TV licence. The woman had a TV licence savings stamps book with her in court. This is a means of paying towards the €160 cost of a licence by buying special €4 stamps from the Post Office and pasting them into a dedicated book.

“I have €32 left to pay,” she said, showing the book to the court.

Judge Éiteain Cunningham adjourned the matter to July 3 to allow the defendant time to complete the payment.

A second defendant had been present in court earlier in the day, before the hearing began. He had spoken to the TV licence inspector and then left the court to get his licence. He had not returned by the time the case was called. 

The court heard that, while a licence had been obtained subsequent to the inspection, there was a loss of revenue to the state of €80. 

Judge Cunningham adjourned the matter to July 3 to allow him the opportunity to be present. 

Among the remaining defendants were two individuals who had admitted to the inspector when he called that they had a television set but no licence. Neither were present in court. 

Mr O’Reilly told the court in each case that he was not aware of a licence having since been obtained.

State solicitor Kieran Dillon told the court that the maximum fine for the offence is €1,000. However the judge has full discretion to decide within that limit who much of a fine to impose.

The two defendants were each fined €160, equivalent to the cost of an annual licence, and must also each pay prosecution costs of €75. They were given four months to pay the fine. 

A further two defendants who were not in court had obtained a TV licence subsequent to the inspector’s visit to their home. 

Mr Reilly told the court that loss of revenue to the state was €80 in each of those cases.

In both cases, Judge Cunningham imposed fines of €80, with an order to pay prosecution costs of €75. 

There were a further five cases which, as each was called, Mr Dillon said could be struck out.