Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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263. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason Irish mobile telephone customers are paying more than other European customers for making calls when abroad; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that according to ComReg the average surcharge applied by Irish operators is 98c per minute compared with just 69c across the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7590/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The regulation of electronic communications services, including the regulation of mobile charges, occurs within a fully liberalised market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), which is independent in the exercise of its regulatory functions. I therefore have no statutory authority to regulate charges or ComReg in the exercise of its independent regulatory functions.

However, I have asked ComReg to provide comment on the Deputy's question.

Calls made within the EU account for the vast majority of roaming calls made by Irish mobile customers. Prices for calls made within the EU are capped under EU Regulation 2015/2120. Those caps will be reduced even further from 15 June 2017 with the introduction of EU Roam Like At Home rules. The EU market is fully regulated.

ComReg estimates that non-EU roaming accounts for less than 3% of all roaming calls made by Irish mobile customers. The average surcharge applied to Irish customers in this context in 2016 was €0.98 per minute. This average price is a function of commercial agreements which individual EU-based mobile operators have with non-EU based mobile operators. Such international commercial agreements occur in an unregulated market. The overall EU average is €0.69, however this EU overall average encompasses a range of charges, including for example, surcharges as high as €2.10 per minute for Malta-based customers and €0.24 for Lithuania-based customers when roaming outside the EU.

The collection of this type of data for monitoring purposes by ComReg and other EU National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) is a requirement of the current EU roaming regulations. The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) of which ComReg is a member, coordinates the regular collection of that data across all EU member states, on the basis of self-reporting by individual operators to each NRA.

Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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264. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the outcome for roaming charges between Ireland and the UK post-Brexit (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this is a serious issue for persons living in the Border regions in which mobile operator service providers automatically switch over and back; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7593/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The EU Roaming Regulations aim to abolish retail roaming charges within the EU on 15 June 2017, subject to Fair Use Policy. At that point in time, the UK will still be a member of the EU and will thus be required to abide by EU law in place at that time.

It is not yet possible to say what impact Brexit will have on cross border roaming charges. This will be largely dependent on the future relationship between the EU and UK. I can assure the Deputy however that my Department will continue to engage with the key stakeholders on this matter, and will use the structures put in place by Government for managing Brexit, to ensure that any progress made at EU level in reducing roaming charges applies also in any new relationship with the UK.