Information and Communications Technology Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 March 2013

Thursday, 21 March 2013

Questions (120)

Sean Fleming

Question:

120. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the progress made within his Department on phasing out the use of locall 1890 numbers that can be extremely expensive when dialled from mobile phones and introducing 076 numbers, which are generally included in tariff bundles provided by most mobile network operators and are charged at the same rate as national calls, in view of the fact that the number of mobile telephones exceed the number of landlines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14487/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

I am conscious of the cost of telephone calls to customers of my Department. For this reason a LoCall 1890 number is provided for each of the main contact points in the Department and a local number is also supplied in order to provide the customer with a choice of contact methods.

My Department did investigate the potential for use of the 076 number in some cases. However, the benefit of providing these numbers was unproven, particularly in view of the complexity of tariff structures from telecommunications providers, the multiple methods of contact already available to the public and the fact that, during the period under review, less than a third of the total calls to the numbers under consideration came from mobile phones. There would also be additional costs to the Department. My Department will continue to review the use of LoCall numbers on an on-going basis.