Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 329: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if the State has jurisdiction over the operation of mobile phone operators based in the State and operating premium rate text services. [42487/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I have no function in this matter. Premium Rate Services are commercial products in a commercial market.

Responsibility for the regulation of the content and promotion of Premium Rate Text Services is a matter for Regtel, an independent self regulatory body established in 1995 to regulate these services.

Regtel does not report to me as Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.

The area of consumer protection within which RegTel operates falls mainly under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs.

Neither my Department nor the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg has a role in relation to complaints regarding premium rate call and text charges.