The Minister for Communications Dermot Ahern has accused mobile phone companies in Ireland of ripping off consumers with roaming fees charged North and South of the border.
Addressing the Communications Regulator ComReg's national conference in Dublin today, Ahern said he expected the complete abolition of roaming charges early next year, and one price tariff for the whole of Ireland.
Ahern said the madcap practice of customers still in the Republic finding their mobile using a UK network and paying up to five times of the price of a normal call had to stop.
Ahern said that the 60,000 Armagh and Tyrone fans visiting for the All-Ireland final last weekend must have provided a bonanza for mobile operators.
Ahern said he also wanted to see a one price rate for fixed line calls, and would be meeting his Northern counterpart Ian Pearson to discuss the issue next week.
A spokeswoman for Vodafone said the company would be introducing an all-Ireland tariff early next year, but she said it was not clear yet whether this would be available to pay-as-you-go customers.
Meteor says the Minister's criticism could be levelled at O2 and Vodafone because unlike Meteor they have networks North of the border.
O2 recently introduced an all-Ireland flat rate tariff, but this is available only as an additional service for a which a subscription may be paid.
