Departmental Communications

Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 7 September 2018

Friday, 7 September 2018

Questions (1192)

Seán Fleming

Question:

1192. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the position in his Department and the organisations under its aegis that have arrangements in place for lo-call numbers or 1800, 1850 and 1890 phone numbers for members of the public to contact his Department or organisations under its aegis; the number of these that are completely free to call to persons that use mobile phones and may incur major bills phoning such organisations; if the situation will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36405/18]

Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

My Department receives ICT and telephony services via an agreement with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and as such all Departmental numbers use the 076 prefix, where calls are charged as a national call from landlines or mobiles. My Department has no separate arrangements in place for the use of lo-call or 1800, 1850 and 1890 numbers.

In respect of the agencies under the aegis of my Department, Irish Water Safety (IWS) has an arrangement in place for an 1890 number for callers from fixed line numbers, however there is also a standard 091-area number which mobile phone users can contact at the standard rate charged by their service provider or within their bundled minutes package.