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Communications Market Regulation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020

Tuesday, 3 November 2020

Questions (245)

Cormac Devlin

Question:

245. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications if he will write to all telecommunications providers regulated in Ireland to ask them to provide free landline to landline calls for all customers over 65 years of age during the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure they can stay connected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32422/20]

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Written answers

Providing telecommunication services, is a matter for the relevant service providers operating in a fully liberalised market regulated by the Commission for Communication Regulation (ComReg), as independent Regulator. As Minister I do not have statutory authority to require commercial companies to provide specific services as described by the Deputy. The telecommunications framework does include a useful tool in the form of the universal service obligation which helps to ensure that the reasonable needs of end users are met. This does not include free unlimited calls. However, consumers are free to make informed choices between service providers, some of which offer packages facilitating unlimited calls.

However, I recognise how vital telecommunications services are to citizens for so many aspects of their daily lives, including remote working, studying and staying in touch with family members during the Covid-19 crisis and I can advise that all the telecommunications companies which signed up to the COVID-19 commitments last spring have confirmed continuation of their policy regarding financially distressed customers due to the ongoing COVID situation. In that regard, in order that customers can remain connected during the crisis, service providers will engage with any customer that contacts them who is in financial difficulty as a result of COVID-19 and has difficulty paying their bills to agree the best way of keeping them connected. 

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