Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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260. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he proposes to raise as a matter of extreme urgency with the European Union communications Ministers and at the European communications Council the need to implement the previously agreed abolition of mobile phone roaming charges in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13755/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The regulation of retail charges for roaming services is implemented by way of EU Regulations. The first such EU Regulation commenced in 2007, followed by amending Regulations adopted in 2010 and 2012 to further reduce the maximum permitted wholesale and retail roaming charges within the EU. The Regulations also introduced measures to protect users from bill shocks when roaming. Ireland supported each of the EU Roaming Regulations which the EU Commission calculates have achieved regulated retail roaming price reductions of over 80% since 2007 in calls, SMS and data. These reductions have benefitted all roaming mobile phone users without adverse impacts on users who do not use roaming services. This was achieved by reducing both wholesale and retail prices simultaneously.

In September 2013, the European Commission introduced a wide range of proposed measures, including changes to current roaming regulations, as part of a comprehensive Telecoms Single Market (TSM) package. In early 2014, the then out-going European Parliament, having discussed the TSM proposal, voted to significantly amend the Commission's proposals on roaming. It proposed instead a Roam Like At Home approach which would have seen the abolition of roaming charges within the EU by December 2015, subject to a fair usage limit which was unquantified.

The Parliament’s proposal was aimed at retail tariffs and did not address issues in relation to wholesale charges. A concern emerged that this might result in operators passing on costs to domestic customers.

The European Council has been discussing the roaming proposals for several months now and at a recent meeting Ireland along with all Member States agreed to give the Latvian Presidency a mandate to enter into formal negotiations with the European Parliament and the Commission on a revised proposal which would set a basic free roaming allowance for users and significantly reduce charges for roaming beyond the basic allowance. These negotiations are ongoing.