Telephone Hacking

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 July 2011

Thursday, 21 July 2011

Ceisteanna (432)

Michael McCarthy

Ceist:

438 Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of complaints ComReg has received in each of the years 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011 from customers who believe their phones have been hacked; the breakdown in terms of personal mobile phone devices, household landlines and business telephone systems and exchanges or PABXs in tabular form; the number of these alleged incidents that have been deemed by ComReg to be valid; in respect of PABXs in particular, the total cost incurred by affected companies each year as a result of the fraud; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22450/11]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Pat Rabbitte)

Regulation of the telecommunications sector is a matter for the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) which is independent in the exercise of its functions. The information requested by the Deputy, based on information supplied to me by ComReg, is set out in the following table:

Year	Number of hacking complaints received	Number of cases deemed valid hacking	Complaints by service type	Cost incurred
2009	23	19	16 PBX.03 Dial-up Internet.02 Internet, type not specified.01 Mobile.01 Broadband.	€195,461
2010	25	21	15 PBX.05 Mobile.04 Dial-up Internet.01 Broadband.	€333,441
2011	22	21	10 PBX.05 Broadband.04 Mobile.01 Dial-up Internet.01 Landline.01 VoIP.	€93,945

PBX = Private Branch Exchange, usually a company switchboard with several telephone lines