Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 549: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will direct State agencies and Departments to use both a lo-call number and local number for members of the public in view of the fact that many persons with mobile phones are charged higher tariffs by calling the lo-call number; the cost of calling a lo-call number during the day from a mobile phone; the cost of a landline phone call to a lo-call number; his views on that there are many persons on low incomes who only have a mobile phone number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7922/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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My Department uses both a lo-call number and local number for members of the public. These numbers are published on the Department's website.

The use of a lo-call number is appropriate for persons who do not have access to free national call services and it affords considerable savings to such persons and is, accordingly, current best practice in customer relations. Persons who have an entitlement to free national calls can of course ring the main Department number for free.

I am very supportive of the wider application of such facilities across other areas of the Public Service but do not have powers of direction in that regard.