asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend the free television licence scheme, to which certain categories of persons are entitled, to include owners of colour television sets in the same categories.

I do not at present propose to extend the free television licence scheme in the way suggested. A qualified person with a colour television set receives a grant of the value of the monochrome licence and is only required to pay the difference in the licence values.

Is the Minister aware that this privilege has recently been extended to cover all the occupants of prisons within the State? Would the Minister consider that these people are in the main elderly citizens and would be entitled to at least the same privilege?

The scheme is being kept under review. At the moment that is as far as it can go. I am not ruling it out forever.

While some of these prisoners are only guilty of minor crimes, will the Minister agree that all the senior citizens are guilty of is the fact that they grew old? Surely the Minister will agree that they are entitled to a similar privilege.

The Deputy knows my interest in this matter. It was I who introduced the scheme.

That is why I thought the Minister would agree with me.

I will keep the Deputy's suggestion in mind.