Ms Sorcha Heaphy:

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist sin. We have made strong efforts over the past seven or eight months to increase the numbers of individuals who have a strong level of competency in the Irish language. Prior to Christmas, we would only have had two such people within the group of agents who were serving the Uisce Éireann account. That has increased to an additional five in recent months. We have made great strides to impress this requirement on ourselves within the organisation, and on those with which we partner such as Capita which provided that outsourced contact service centre for us. We have increased the availability of that service. I know this has sometimes been challenging for customers who have wished to engage with us by pressing "Ní" ar an teileafón in that way.