The Dublin judge who presided over the TV licensing prosecutions criticized RTÉ for what he described as elitism, “Godlike personalities”, and “freeloaders” while defendants were “crippled with the cost of living”, reports Breaking News.
Dublin District Court has a special weekly hearing for cases brought by An Post against TV owners who failed to pay the €160 annual license fee.
Friday’s list contained 159 accusations, but before hearing the cases, Judge Anthony Halpin made a strongly worded preamble about the ongoing controversy at the national broadcaster.
He said he was “disgusted and appalled” by the recent revelations.
“[Not having a TV licence] is a criminal offence and on conviction, it carries a fine and a record of having committed a crime. The people before this court are accused of failing to pay the TV licence fee, and these people may feel a little hard done by when they see the way RTÉ has abused statutory funding which is annually provided to RTÉ,” the judge said, reports Breaking News.
He added: “The revelations have rocked the very foundations of the national public broadcaster and have sent, not ripples, but seismic shock waves throughout the organisation. I am appalled and disgusted that such clandestine, secretive and dubious goings-on would be the order of the day in respect of arrangements between RTÉ and the Godlike personalities who seem to be above scrutiny,” reports Breaking News.
The judge said he was saddened by those before the court, “who are crippled with the cost of living, have to swallow this unpalatable pill of the licence fee when they see that such a source of income is squandered and abused. But the law is the law, and the law provides that you must have a licence if you have a TV”, he said, adding, “I will afford more time to those who need it, and An Post may enter into an arrangement with you to pay by debit mandate or collect stamps, so as to help with the expense of the license fee,” reports Breaking News.
Concluding his remarks, Judge Haplin said: “Those who intend to do this, I will leave without a conviction, and those who do not turn up, I have no choice but to convict, but I will keep the fine to a minimum,” reports Breaking News.
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