Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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1139. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to strengthen existing legislation to afford consumers of telecommunication products who experience disruption to services and connectivity issues greater protection and options for redress [38086/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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Section 45 of the Communications Regulation Act 2002, as amended, among other things, prohibits telecommunications services providers from imposing charges on customers for services not provided. In addition, there are more detailed consumer protection measures set out in the European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Universal Service and Users’ Rights) Regulations (SI 337 /2011) which, among other things, oblige telecommunications services providers to include in customers’ contracts information regarding the minimum service quality levels and the types of maintenance service offered, the customer support services provided, the means of contacting those services and conditions regarding any compensation and refund arrangements which apply if contracted service quality levels are not met.

Any customer who is charged for a telecommunications service which is not provided or who cannot resolve a quality of service dispute in bilateral dealings with the service provider can submit a dispute to the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the independent market regulator to pursue further.

Given the measures that are already in place to protect consumers, there are no proposals to amend these legislative provisions at this time. These measures are in addition to the more general consumer protection rights and dispute resolution procedures which apply to the provision of goods and services generally.