Departmental Communications

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2018

Tuesday, 18 September 2018

Ceisteanna (94)

Seán Fleming

Ceist:

94. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Taoiseach the positions in his Department and the organisations under its aegis that have arrangements in place for lo-call numbers or 1800, 1850 and 1890 telephone 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 for persons who use mobile telephones and may incur major bills telephoning such organisations; and if the situation will be reviewed. [36390/18]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

My Department provides a LoCall phone number to those who may wish to avail of it. It is an 1890 number and it is not the primary contact number for my Department. This is made clear on my Department's website, through my Department's various entries in publicly available telephone directories, and through Internet search engines.

Where the LoCall number is published on my Department's website, it includes a note advising potential callers that the rates for this service may vary amongst service providers.

The National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), the only body under the aegis of my Department, does not utilise any LoCall phone numbers.

My Department is aware of the consultation undertaken by the Commission for Communications Regulation in relation to LoCall numbers which was published in July 2018 and which includes a draft decision to withdraw some of these LoCall numbers over time. My Department will implement any recommendation made by the Commission in this regard.