Dublin South West TD, Seán Crowe, has welcomed the European Commission statement that roaming charges will be scrapped on 15 June 2017 and then replaced by new ‘roam like at home’ rules.

The Sinn Féin TD said he had raised his own concerns about loopholes in the legislation with the head of the European Parliament information office in Dublin at a meeting of the Oireachtas European Union Affairs Committee and got positive assurances that the legislation would not allow phone operators an opt out clause.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“I welcome the European Commission’s statement on roaming charges, which states that from 15 June 2017 the current data roaming charges outside Ireland and in the European Union will no longer apply, and customers will instead be charged the same rates as the pay at home.

“This reduction is a positive development and the rumours in the media of some Irish providers somehow trying to opt out of the regulation is believed to have led to the Commission’s clarifying statement.

“In its own statement the Commission said it is aware of reports in the Irish media concerning mobile roaming charges to Irish consumers after 15 June and that there is no loophole by which part of the domestic data allowance could be regarded as gift or side benefit and would therefore not count when traveling abroad. They also say that the new EU rules also cover voice and SMS services.

“However, operators  will be able to  choose to offer contracts without any roaming, or offer specially designed ‘alternative roaming tariffs’ that fall outside the default regime, but this must be explicitly chosen by customers and will not impact on existing customers.

“The news that roaming charges will be scrapped will come as a relief and give greater certainty to many consumers who wait in terror for their next mobile phone bill following a holiday in Europe.

“I had raised the issue recently at a meeting of the European Affairs Committee with the head of the European Parliament’s office in Dublin, and particularly the rumours and concerns that some mobile operators were looking to get around the new legislation. He assured me that this wouldn’t be the case.

“The National Regulatory Authorities will now have an increased role in ensuring that the rules of the roaming and implementing regulations are not being circumvented by the phone operators.”

ENDS