Written answers

Tuesday, 16 April 2013

Department of Social Protection

Citizens Information Service

Photo of Michael McGrathMichael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the cost of phoning the Citizens Information Service; the reason for changing form a freephone number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17344/13]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Citizens Information Service did not operate a freephone number but did operate a LoCall service for a number of years. Due to the deregulation of the telephony market and the introduction of different packages and plans for residential customers, as well as the rise in numbers of people owning mobile phones, the costs to customers of calling this LoCall service could vary.

While it is not possible to state the exact cost to individual customers, the introduction of a new 0761 prefix for Citizens Information and Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) telephone numbers is part of a Government initiative to reduce call costs for both public bodies and customers. Calls to 0761 numbers are charged at national call rates, from both landlines and mobile numbers and are included in any bundle of minutes offered by all telephone service providers.

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