Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 44: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the way he proposes to prevent a recurrence of disconnections in the telecommunications sector with particular reference to compliance with European and national legislation in respect of availability of service and competition to provide same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33559/06]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 57: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the annoyance, frustration and inconvenience caused by the arbitrary disconnection of thousands of telephone and broadband subscribers throughout the country and that such subscribers are the innocent victims of policy, debate and dispute over which they had no control; if he will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that there is no recurrence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33523/06]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 72: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his legislative plans to prevent a recurrence of the large scale disconnection of telephone and broadband subscribers throughout the country; if other actions, such as the issue of directives to the Regulator, are planned in regard to such issues in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33566/06]

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has satisfied himself with the legality of Eircom's actions at the time of the disconnection of Smart Telecom services, including its waiver of the five to seven day cooling period that entitles new customers to cancel a contract; if he intends to reform the legislation providing for customer protection in this regard; if he further intends introducing a mandatory notice period in the event of the withdrawal of services by a wholesale service provider; and if so, the details of the notice period. [33486/06]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when he will bring forward legislation to ensure that the telecoms sector is effectively regulated in view of the ongoing Smart Telecom debacle and the recent disconnection of over 45,000 Smart Telecom customers from their telephone and broadband services; if he will adopt ComReg's suggestion of establishing a statutory basis for notice of withdrawal of service by a telecoms operator; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33403/06]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has had discussions regarding the recent Smart Telecom situation; and his proposals to ensure that this situation does not occur again. [33442/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 44, 57, 72, 94, 107 and 116 together.

The telecoms market in Ireland is fully liberalised and open. Statutory responsibility for the regulation of electronic communication sector rests with the independent regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), under the Communications Regulation Act 2002 and the Regulations transposing the EU Regulatory Framework for Electronic Communications Networks and Services.

As Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources with responsibility for policy in the sector, I am concerned about the disruption and inconvenience caused to so many customers and I have asked ComReg to examine how, in light of the recent situation regarding Smart Telecom, this could best be prevented from happening in the future.