Vol. 418 No. 2
4 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if she has satisfied herself that enough is being done to combat the growing number of obscene and malicious telephone calls, particularly to women; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I am satisfied that there are adequate powers available to deal with malpractices of the kind referred to by the Deputy. A person who makes telephone calls of an offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing character or who persistently makes calls without reasonable cause or for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety can be prosecuted in the courts and, if convicted, shall be liable to a fine of up to £50,000 or to imprisonment for up to five years or to both the fine and imprisonment. Telecom Éireann also have the power to suspend service to any subscriber who uses the phone for making obscene or menacing calls. I would point out, of course, that Telecom Éireann are merely assisting the appropriate law enforcement authorities and are not primarily responsible for handling such cases.
Is the Minister aware that there appears to have been a very substantial increase in the number of abusive and particularly obscene calls made to people, especially to women, and that this can result in terror and sleepless nights in circumstances where the telephone continues to ring throughout the night? While there are laws and penalties on the Statute Book, they do not seem to be sufficient. Would the Minister consider introducing a 24-hour freephone helpline, similar to that operating in Britain and Northern Ireland, which would give recorded advice to people in terror and desperation?
I will pass on to the chief executive and board of Telecom Éireann the Deputy's suggestion relating to the provision of a 24-hour freephone service for people in this position. Having been the subject of this type of telephone call in Dublin, and my family having been subject to it in my home in Galway, in 1989 I can well appreciate the distress this causes in a home. I am acutely aware and, in fairness to Telecom Éireann, I think Telecom Éireann are also acutely aware of the problem. When instances of that kind of abusive and threatening phone calls have been brought to their attention they have reacted immediately and worked with the law enforcement authorities to ensure, so far as is possible, that they first get the proof and then, when proof is found, that prosecution follows.
Would the Minister agree that a large number of those calls are not recorded and that many of them are not reported to the Garda, either through fear or because of the feeling that nothing will or can be done? Would she agree that some publicity on this matter, possibly centred on the provision of the helpline I have suggested, would enable determination of the enormity of this problem which might itself be useful? On a lighter note, perhaps now would be a good time to act in this respect because the malicious phone calls referred to by the Minister could, in fact, increase in the near future in the light of certain political developments taking place, if the past is anything to go by.
I should first like to dispel any perception that members of the public who suffer in this instance might have that if they report an incident it will not be seen to and put right. Secondly, I agree with the Deputy that it is very important to publicise the fact that Telecom Éireann and the law enforcement authorities activate all of their facilities immediately on a complaint being made to them. Perhaps the fact that the Deputy has tabled this question today will encourage members of the news media who report the proceedings of this House to bring it to the attention of the public. However, as I said earlier, I will raise with Telecom Éireann the possibility of further publicity, whether by way of a freephone helpline or otherwise.
