Information and Communications Technology Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 March 2013

Thursday, 21 March 2013

Ceisteanna (84)

Sean Fleming

Ceist:

84. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Finance the progress made within his Department on phasing out the use of lo-call 1890 numbers that can be extremely expensive when dialled from mobile telephones and introducing 076 number, 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. [14484/13]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Finance

In response to the Deputy’s question the CMOD Division of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform provides ICT and telephony services to my Department on a shared services basis. In 2011, CMOD reached an agreement with ComReg to assign a specific block of 200,000 076 numbers to the public service, which it now manages and allocates. Additionally, CMOD architected the Government Networks infrastructure to accept and deliver 076 numbers to anywhere in the country. It also issued a detailed Advisory Note to public bodies explaining how 1890 LoCall numbers work and the charges associated with them, the issues this can have for mobile phone users, how the 076 number range works and how it provides cost savings for both customers and public bodies. It advised public bodies to move to 076 numbers as soon as possible. While both Departments use one shared LoCall 1890 number to facilitate landline calls from outside the Dublin dial-code area, it has also implemented a number of 076 numbers for use from both mobile and landlines for a range of services and units.