Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 17 Jun 1999

Vol. 506 No. 4

Written Answers. - Telecommunications Sector.

Ivan Yates

Question:

65 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the representations, if any, she has received from the Communications Workers Union on the recent determinations by the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation regarding local loop unbundling; if the decisions in this regard are in line with EU Directives; if her Department has sought any clarification from the European Commission in this regard; her Department's assessment of the broader review of the telecommunications sector which is being carried out by the European Commission on this topic; if she has satisfied herself that competition in this area relating to the incumbent operator is developing along the same lines in other EU member states; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15661/99]

Minister for Public Enterprise (Mrs. O'Rourke)

In March 1999, the Director of Telecommunications Regulation initiated a consultation process on the question of unbundling the local loop. That process is still under way and I understand the director anticipates issuing a report on the matter next month. It would be inappropriate for me to anticipate the conclusions which that report will draw. I maintain close relations with the trade union interests on a variety of telecommunications issues. I have had an informal meeting and discussion with members of the Communications Workers Union on local loop unbundling.

The Deputy will be aware that there is no specific legislative requirement in the corpus of current community telecommunications legislation which obliges unbundling of the local loop. However, in common with a number of other European Administrations, I believe this is an issue which should be carefully examined and I look forward to the director's report on the outcome of the consultation process.

My Department keeps regular contact with the European Commission on a broad range of telecommunications related topics, including unbundling the local loop, and Ireland will contribute as necessary to any review of unbundling carried out by the Commission.

In other member states, unbundling the local loop is still at an early stage and, while I understand that a number of them are at various stages in its introduction, it is too early to draw concrete conclusions from those efforts.