Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 13 Oct 1999

Vol. 509 No. 2

Written Answers. - Eircom Subscribers.

Ivan Yates

Ceist:

73 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she has satisfied herself with the situation where personal details of Eircom subscribers are being made available through the Golden Pages website on the Internet to anyone who may use or abuse it; the basis under which Eircom can provide this information without the consent of the subscriber; the steps, if any, she will take to ensure that the consent of individuals is given if this practice is to continue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19837/99]

Minister for Public Enterprise (Mrs. O'Rourke)

In accordance with European Community law, Eircom has been designated by the Director of Telecommunications Regulation as having the obligation to provide universal service. As part of this obligation Eircom is obliged to keep a record of all telephone subscribers in the State, including those with fixed, mobile and personal numbers, who have not refused to be included in that record, and allow access to any information contained in such record to any person requesting such information.

This provision allows for persons to have themselves excluded from the listing. This is copperfastened by the European Parliament and Council Directive 97/66/EC on the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the telecommunications sector which provides that a person is entitled to be omitted from directory services at his or her request. My Department has prepared draft regulations to transpose this directive into Irish law and these are currently with the parliamentary draftsman.