The Minister for Communications, Mr Dermot Ahern, today demanded an end to "rip-off" mobile phone charges that force people to pay more for calls when they cross the border with Northern Ireland.
Mr Ahern said he expected complete abolition of the present system by early next year.
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He said: "The public, north and south, are paying through the nose for the border - thanks to the roaming charges imposed by phone companies."
Under existing conditions mobile phone-users using a southern network are automatically charged on an international standard once they cross the border into the north - and vice versa.
In some areas signals cross the border, making customers pay prices up to five-times more than their own network in any case.
Mr Ahern, whose constituency is in Co Louth, said he would be discussing a single Irish charge set-up with Belfast ministerial counterpart Mr Ian Pearson at a meeting next week.
And he added: "As a minister from a border county, I know all about the madcap roaming charges imposed. I know that a flat rate charge for the whole of Ireland will be introduced. I want it without any strings attached.
"It is completely unsustainable in a small island like ours to have roaming charges. This is a small island and most other comparable locations in Europe - both in terms of size and population - would have one price rate for mobile and fixed lines.
"I want to see this brought as quickly as possible."
Mr Ahern also pointed to the high phone price charges that confronted the tens of thousands of fans who were in Dublin last weekend for the all-Northern Ireland Irish football final between Co Tyrone and Co Armagh, and wanted to phone home.
He said "It must have been a bonanza time for operators, but an expensive one for the fans."
PA