Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Section 20 is necessary, for all of the reasons outlined by Senator Bradford. However, I would suggest to the Minister that he could perhaps go a little further. Anybody, irrespective of age, background or terrorist involvement, can walk into a mobile telephone shop and buy a dozen SIM cards for €100 or two dozen for €200. That individual can then use the technology to cause trouble, whether that be by making prank calls or operating prostitution rings. Indeed, in the latter context, the justice committee discovered recently that mobile telephone technology has revolutionised the prostitution industry, as has the Internet. I was on holidays in Spain on one occasion and wanted to buy a local phone. I went into a mobile telephone shop but in order to get a SIM card, I had to hand over my passport, which was photocopied and kept on file. I asked if this was standard practice for Spanish people as well as visitors and was told that no SIM card can be purchased in Spain without the production of identification, which is then kept on file. There is a lot to be said for having a three or four month period during which people must register their mobile telephone number or numbers with their provider, with some form of formal identification. This could be done online or in mobile telephone shops. After that period, unregistered phone numbers should be blocked and should remain so until they are registered.

The use of mobile telephones in the last decade in particular has revolutionised society, 99% of time for the better, although in politics we could sometimes do without our phones. However, there is a nasty element that uses mobile telephone technology for the wrong reasons. That could be resolved quite simply, in my view and I urge the Minister to consider my suggestion.