Mr. Jim Ryan:

As Deputies will appreciate, once Covid-19 hit we had to look at all ways of trying to ensure a continuation of provision of services. From an ICT perspective this posed significant challenges. There have been significant developments over recent months, probably greater than we would ever have deemed feasible. The issue was raised about voices, which has certainly been a difficulty over the most recent period. We hope that it will no longer be a difficulty because our investment in those devices will help meet the demand.

Deputy O'Reilly referred to face-to-face communication. We are trying to have a blended approach so those who need face-to-face support can have that access and we can try to ensure we maintain a level of service where we use technology to the best advantage. As the Deputy has outlined, that coverage throughout the country can sometimes be patchy. We are working on this daily.