Mr. James Claffey:

I cannot underestimate what we are hearing from our members with regard to their telephones. For many elderly people, their telephones represent a lifeline to their family and friends. We held two seminars on rural isolation this year, one in Donegal and the other in Ennis, and this issue was raised numerous times. As stated earlier, it links to the issue of home security, Garda stations and the fact the elderly individuals' telephones are connected to security systems. What was done last year has not only affected these people's ability to communicate with their families, it has also had an impact on their sense of security within their homes. They cannot connect and do not feel safe as a result. In addition, it is no longer possible for them to have their security systems in place.