Fine Gael today launched a draft anti-spam Bill which will put the onus on Internet service providers (ISPs) to make greater efforts to filter unwanted emails.
The party's spokesman on communications Mr Simon Coveney quoted a British study which estimated spam was costing companies employing more than 500 people €57,000 per year.
"If the same costs were to reasonably apply in Ireland then the top 1,100 companies would face a cost of €62.7 million per year. With twice this number of people employed in the economy in smaller companies the cost to business across the economy comes to a total of €188 million," Mr Coveney said.
"One virus after another has invaded PCs across the globe in recent weeks, causing untold damage and adding to the cost of the fight against Internet crime," he added.
The Bill was Fine Gael's response to the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Ahern, who recently asked for contributions from interested parties in framing anti-spam regulations.
Tough new rules must be in place by the end of October to bring Ireland into line with an EU directive approved by the European Parliament in May 2002.
The new regulations will allow ISP customers to determine which elements of their stored personal data can made available to others and place the onus on companies to ensure they have user consent before passing on personal information to a third party.
Companies will also be obliged to seek consent before disseminating the location data of its users and the use of Internet cookies and similar devices will also be curtailed.
The growing trend of direct marketing through mobile phones, fax and automated calling systems will also be addressed.
Powers to enforce the regulations will be give to the communications regulator, ComReg, and the Data Protection Commissioner.