Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. It has some very good measures, specifically those that will increase the powers of ComReg. That organisation does good work. It supports vulnerable people and can be an easier organisation to gain access to and get support from. This removes the need to go to the High Court, freeing up valuable and vital court resources.

It is disappointing that this legislation has taken so long to emerge. We are two years past the deadline we signed up to. The State was referred to the European Court of Justice in April of this year for failing to implement these changes. To be clear, the court could fine the State and we could face the prospect of ordinary people having to pay the bill for the Government failing to do its job. It has taken four years to draft this legislation, and I recognise it is complex, but there are so many Bills like this that we need to process much faster. The Minister needs to make it clear why this process has taken so long and what actions he has taken to ensure this will not happen in future.

I have serious concerns about Eir. Recently, it hiked up prices by as much as the increase in the consumer price index plus 3%. I reiterate that Eir added an extra 3%. This saw monthly bills rising by €5 in August. The Minister of State needs to clarify whether this Bill will give people any recourse in situations like this, because we know the majority of people who use fixed telephone lines are elderly or living in rural areas. These are not luxury services, but necessities. While a €5 monthly increase may not seem like a huge amount for many people, for those living on pensions, those living alone and those living in vulnerable areas who are already struggling because of the cost-of-living crisis, these increases will have a huge impact on their household costs annually and make them even more vulnerable. Eir should come out now and reverse this decision.

Margaret, a lady from Cork, contacted me about this issue. She requires a fixed telephone line because she has a personal alarm. I assume the Minister of State will know that people with personal alarms must have a fixed telephone line. This ensures that if the alarm is triggered, a relative or someone supporting that person can be contacted. If people cannot afford to have fixed telephone lines, we will be making more people who are already vulnerable even more vulnerable. Elderly people living alone are now concerned about being able to afford a personal alarm. There is enough fear among older people already, especially among those living alone or in rural areas, concerning their safety, without them also having to worry about whether they can afford the cost of a fixed telephone line for a personal alarm. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, needs to engage with Eir and call on the company to reverse this decision.

With all that is already happening, including the increasing cost of heating, people being concerned with what they are going to eat and how they are going to manage, and a cost-of-living crisis that is crippling people, this move by Eir adds insult to injury. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, must ensure the Government takes action to ensure this increase does not impact on ordinary people. Companies should not be allowed to apply increases like this. What is the justification for it? I ask the Minister to act quickly. He has been out defending the big data centres and the amount of energy they are using. Where is the defence for ordinary people who have been priced out of necessities? We need a regulator with the power to protect ordinary people and to ensure people have recourse. There are good things in this Bill, but there is more to be done. My colleague, Deputy O'Rourke, is at the forefront in trying to ensure the regulations and the regulator have the power to ensure ordinary people are protected.

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