Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the Government's position on the recent European Commission draft regulations on the abolition of roaming charges for mobile phone users across the EU; if he expects the support of other EU Government members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13612/06]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 35: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when he expects mobile telephone roaming charges to be abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13818/06]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when he expects mobile telephone roaming changes to be abolished throughout Europe in line with recent indications at the European Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13819/06]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 35 and 47 together.

Following pressure from the Taoiseach, the European Council emphasised the importance for competitiveness and ease of travel of reducing roaming charges.

This is an issue that affects many people travelling throughout the EU and is a clear example of impediments to the Single Market negatively affecting the citizens and businesses. The roaming charges for voice calls, text messages and data are very significant and we would like to see them reduced or preferably eliminated.

We strongly welcome the announcement by Commissioner Viviane Reding of her draft proposals for a regulation to tackle roaming, which will require approval by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. We look forward to working with her towards the implementation of the regulation. I am particularly pleased that the Commission is taking action following requests from the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, to Commissioner Reding.

In the all-island context, roaming is an issue that both the UK Government and Ireland have highlighted in the context of enhancing North-South co-operation.

In regard to the implementation of revised prices for international roaming, while this is a matter for the mobile phone companies which operate in a fully liberalised market overseen by ComReg, Ireland's independent regulator, I very much encourage the operators to move quickly to reduce roaming charges or preferably to eliminate them.

I welcome recent announcements by Vodafone Ireland, O2 Ireland and 3Ireland to tackle roaming charges and I would hope that they would now address text messaging, data transfer and pre-paid customers. These initiatives followed interventions with the operators by the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, and his Northern Ireland counterpart, Minister Angela Smith, as well as Ofcom and ComReg.