Officials in my Department have been exploring for sometime with both the industry and Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, the matter of a register for the use of all new 2G and 3G pre-paid mobile phones. The principal aim of any such register would be to enable effective tracing of perpetrators of criminal activities who use mobile phones for criminal purposes.
The registration of the use of pre-paid mobile phones is a complex issue and the exact nature of such a register must be given careful thought. The legal, technical and practical issues surrounding this proposal require further consideration in consultation with interested parties, including the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and ComReg.
Legislation is already in place to prosecute the issue of nuisance and criminal calls, and the sending of pornographic images by mobile phones. My colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is responsible for policy in relation to the protection of children from the transmission of pornographic images by phones and other media.