Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Cathaoirleach is always a gentleman and that is not going to change. I commend Senator O'Sullivan on his contribution regarding mobile phone coverage although I am coming at the issue from quite a different perspective. I intend to bring a SIM registration Bill to the floor of the House in the coming weeks which aims to ensure that all SIM cards sold by mobile phone operators are registered in a database and that anyone who wishes to buy a SIM card will have to produce a utility bill or a passport to do so. Mobile communication is great and the ongoing advances in this area are wonderful but, unfortunately, the possibilities of such communication are being abused, particularly by gangland criminals who are buying multiple SIM cards at will. There is no minimum age limit for the purchase of a SIM card. Children as young as nine or ten can go into mobile phone shops with €50, buy ten SIM cards and walk away. Those cards can then be put into electronic devices and used to cause mayhem. It is really not good enough. Many other European countries have registration systems for SIM cards and it is time to take some degree of control over the pay-as-you-go market. I hope this House will support the forthcoming SIM registration Bill and send it to the Lower House for approval.