Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Browne, to the House and wish him well in his portfolio. I had the honour of serving in the Department of Posts and Telegraphs in 1982 before it was broken up and Telecom Éireann and An Post were formed. I was later appointed my party's spokesperson on posts and telegraphs.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. It is important that the nation's communications providers are regulated in line with the European Union regulatory framework. It is also important to grant ComReg powers to enforce best practice and fair pricing in the communications sector. By granting ComReg increased powers to investigate and prosecute anti-competitive behaviour among communications providers, the Bill will help ensure consumers secure a better deal from certain communications providers which are ripping them off. Increased enforcement powers and powers of information gathering granted to the Minister under the legislation will result in better information being passed on to the consumer and greater effectiveness in the enforcement of other provisions of the Bill.

The case of Eircom illustrates the reason the Bill is necessary. Since deregulation Eircom has become much less accountable, leading to complaints of poor service and unsatisfactory broadband roll-out. This problem must be investigated and resolved. The investigation and enforcement of communications providers' responsibilities to the consumer must be addressed. I hope the Bill marks a step in the right direction.

Eircom has indicated it will not continue to provide the emergency call answering service it and its predecessors provided in the past. It has been suggested that this service be put out to tender. Does this mean that essential life or death services such as 999 calls will be offered for tender? If a provider is found for the emergency service, will steps be taken to ensure sufficient operators are available to answer life or death telephone calls?

I pay tribute to the work of the former Department of Posts and Telegraphs. Under the old system, before automation, telephone operators provided an excellent emergency telephone service to the public. What system will be in place to ensure private providers do not attempt to cut back on emergency call answering services? There could be unthinkable consequences if this matter is allowed to slip by without proper public debate.

Recently, it has come to my attention that mobile telephone providers have been placing essentially hidden fees on customers' accounts. These roaming fees are another example of the hidden costs of rip-off Ireland and exploit customers' lack of knowledge of the ins and outs of call charges. Before discussing the role of Vodafone, I will declare an interest. As a result of my shareholding in Eircom, I have become a small shareholder in Vodafone, from which I receive a small dividend. I also pay high charges to the company. Vodafone's roaming fees are ludicrously high for customers visiting other countries. If one is not careful, one could find oneself paying €15.90 to receive a ten-minute call in Britain or Northern Ireland. To secure an exemption from roaming charges, one must, ostensibly, inform Vodafone before travelling abroad. I do not believe this facility exists. While Vodafone is the worst offender in this regard, it is also unacceptable that a similar service offered by Meteor costs up to €9.90.

According to recent figures, Vodafone has 2.17 million mobile telephone customers, many of whom travel abroad for business and leisure. They are being ripped off by mobile providers' excessively high roaming charges. The company, the largest mobile operator in Ireland, is abusing a captive market. Mobile telephone users do not receive a message informing them how much they must pay when taking or making a call in other countries. Bill payers receive a shock when their statement arrives. While abroad, public representatives pay for the privilege of receiving calls from constituents seeking information on issues of concern.

Pay-as-you-go customers will only find out what they have been charged for calls made while abroad when they run out of credit. These hidden costs must be stamped out or made obvious to customers. No one knows how much it costs to receive a call. Given that mobile roaming fees vary widely, it is important to shop around and inform oneself of what is involved. The www.callcosts.ie website, established by ComReg, provides full details about the hidden costs of mobile telephones, broadband and home telephone services. While I commend the regulator for taking this step, not everyone has access to a computer or time to research the cost of calls.

The Bill addresses important issues, while also raising new questions. The hidden fees charged by telecommunications providers should be investigated. This is comprehensive, timely and necessary legislation which I hope will become law shortly. When the Opposition parties were in Government, they gave away——