Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
660. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport his views on whether ComReg has sufficient powers to regulate the phone and broadband providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30415/26]
View answer661. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if any review is ongoing into increasing the level of power that ComReg has to regulate phone and broadband providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30416/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 660 and 661 together.
I propose to take Question numbers 30415/26 and 30416/26 together.
Given the importance of the electronic communications sector to both the economy and society, robust regulation of networks and services in a manner that enables investment, ensures operational resilience and trust, and appropriate consumer protection, requires a coherent regulatory approach.
There is regular engagement with ComReg to discuss a range of policy and regulatory issues, including resourcing and funding of the regulator to enable it deliver on its current and evolving statutory remit. This includes legislating to ensure there is clarity around existing and additional functions, and that relevant enforcement powers and consumer protections are in place.
Transposition of the existing European Electronic Communications Code in 2023 saw ComReg designated as the competent authority for the purpose of enforcing the Code. It provided new powers for ComReg including a new civil enforcement regime and an updated criminal enforcement procedure, the power to set minimum quality of service standards for consumers, and allows ComReg to take interim measures where necessary and sets a higher penalty for the commission of indictable offences.
In January 2026 the European Commission published its proposed Digital Networks Act which contains a number of new policy proposals for regulating the electronic communications market. My officials are engaging with ComReg to assess whether any new powers may be required as this file is negotiated via the Telecommunications and Information Working Party in Brussels.
More broadly, there is regular engagement with colleagues across Government and the Digital Regulators Group under the auspices of the National Digital and AI Strategy to ensure a strategic approach to designating relevant competent authorities for a range of new functions emerging under numerous horizontal EU files. Many of these files and associated functions are often not directly electronic communications related, but include data, cyber security such as the NIS2 Directive and network resilience in the context of critical infrastructure under the Critical Entities Resilience Directive.
