Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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31. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the high level of termination charges in the mobile telephony sector; on the position of the European Union Commission on these charges, and retaining roaming charges in the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16121/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The setting of domestic mobile termination charges for service providers with significant market power is a function of ComReg , which must act independently in exercising this function. ComReg is accountable directly to Committees of the Oireachtas for its exercise of the function.

In the case of EU roaming charges, the European Parliament and the Council have most recently adopted EU Regulation 2015/2120. The Regulation follows on previous EU Roaming Regulations to impose further reductions in the maximum permitted retail roaming charges within the EU, with the objective of abolishing such charges from June 2017. 

In the period of EU regulation, the maximum permitted wholesale roaming charges, exclusive of VAT, have fallen significantly.  The per minute charge for an incoming call has reduced from 24 cent to 0.0114 cent and for data downloads from €1 to 5 cent per megabyte downloaded.  The EU Commission is currently examining proposals to further reduce wholesale roaming charges to ensure the planned abolition of retail roaming charges within the EU from 2017 is sustainable over time. This is good news for European consumers and I look forward to the eventual abolition of all roaming charges across Europe.

I have no statutory authority to intervene in the EU Commission’s role in proposing EU wide regulated wholesale roaming charges nor the exercise by ComReg of its statutory authority to set regulated mobile termination rates in the domestic market.