Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise an issue that was highlighted on "Prime Time" this week. Indeed, it was highlighted in the Dáil by my colleague, Deputy Cahill, and others. I refer to the lack of service being given by Eir to many people in both urban and rural areas. While it is bad enough not to get one's Internet connection or whatever, there is a far more serious side to this. Many of our elderly population rely on their landline for the security link they have to their house. Many people in my part of the country, counties Roscommon and Galway, and in other parts of the country are waiting months for a simple fault to be repaired. I have seen this happen with my own mother. She had patience about it, and we made representations time and again, but it did not happen for months. This also happened to a lot of other people. The chief executive of Eir, Ms Carolan Lennon, was before an Oireachtas committee yesterday. I know this matter has been discussed in the Dáil. I am wonder if we can send a strong letter representing every Senator in this Chamber. I am afraid that after all the coverage this week, the matter will go away and many vulnerable urban and rural dwellers in our society will still not get their faults dealt with speedily. This is very urgent because the security link that old people have is vital. Maybe we could get agreement all round on that. I do not think we can invite this lady in here but if we cannot we should send a very strong letter on behalf of all Senators asking Eir to deal with these matters as quickly as possible.