Vol. 489 No. 6
493 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his Department has a free telephone number, 1890, for the convenience of the public; and, if so, the action, if any, taken to bring this service to public notice. [8727/98]
My Department's customer services action plan commits to the introduction, over the next two years, of a system where all calls to the Department are charged at a local call rate. As a first step, my Department's vehicle registration unit (VRU) in Shannon will participate in the Lo-Call (1890) service which is being introduced in respect of all Government Departments/offices on a phased basis. In this context, I understand that the Minister for Finance will announce and advertise an extension of the Lo-Call service to different Departments and offices — including the VRU — in the near future.
With regard to my Department's other offices in Ballina and Dublin, preparations are under way to upgrade the telephone systems in these offices. The Lo-Call service will be extended to these offices when this work is completed.
