Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Communications networks are part of our critical infrastructure, of course. We can see that they are a target. The biggest target is the energy system, with communications probably second after that. We see the example of Vodafone Portugal being taken down for a number of days. This is the kind of thing we need to protect against. The function of ComReg will be to ensure that communications companies are carrying out all the tasks they need to protect themselves. The National Cyber Security Centre, NCSC, will continue to offer the kind of technical support and incident response that is required. Additionally, ComReg will also be involved in something much more directly with the public, which is making sure that telecoms companies are providing a customer charter. When a company does not live up to the charter, there will be an easy adjudication method to ensure that they do not have to go to court. People have suffered a lot with communications companies. I am not going to name any one large communications company, but people have had a lot of difficulty with communications companies offering an appalling level of customer service.

Under new European law, ComReg will be the authority that is on the customer's side. It is going to provide an easy mechanism for people to get restitution and, in some cases, automatic refunds where, for example, customers book broadband installations and the installer does not turn up or where customers are not getting the services for which they have paid.

See this speech in context