Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to put on the record that I do not accept that Covid-19 is an excuse. I hear what Ms Lennon says in regard to the recruitment embargo but I do not understand it. I think it is self-imposed between March and July. I do not know why Eir could not and did not recruit during that period. Eir is deemed an essential service. Other industries have had to live with Covid, some of them far more challenging and complex industries than telecommunications. For example, if we had the CEO of a hospital group here today, whose staff profile would not be that different from that of Eir in terms of working from home, staff losses and having to deliver services, he or she could not just say that the phone rings out and takes an extra half hour to answer. I do not accept that as an excuse. I think the type of customer service that is being provided by Eir, which is a hugely profitable company, is inexcusable.

That said, Ms Lennon has come here today and offered an apology and a promise that things will get better. I put it to her that Eir is hugely profitable. What does it propose to do for its loyal customers to make up for the poor service, frustration and anger they have been forced to endure because of poor customer service? We are in the run-up to Christmas. What is Eir going to do to reward those customers who have stuck with it in this most difficult year when it has, in my opinion, blatantly failed them?