Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1679. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason the HSE and other Government bodies are using telephone numbers which are not free phone or low call that is 0818 or 1890 numbers for public queries; the reason they are not instead supplying local call numbers for the public; his views on whether it is unfair to place these high phone call costs on members of the public who could already be under financial strain; and the companies employed by these Government bodies to administer these calls. [25268/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The matter raised by the Deputy is a customer service issue for the organisations concerned. The use and display of telephone numbers is an area in which I have no statutory function.

The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) manages and administers the National Numbering Scheme which lists all numbers and codes that are available for use on public telecommunications networks. ComReg, which is independent in the exercise of its functions, has established a variety of access code types, in accordance with international norms, including:

- geographic numbering where charges are incurred by the caller at a local or national rate;

- 1850 numbers which share the costs between the caller and the service provider at a fixed rate when called from a fixed line number;

- 1890 numbers which share the costs between the caller and the service provider having regard to the duration of the call when called from a fixed line number; and

- 0818 numbers (designated as Universal Access Numbers), used by many large companies and charities that also have significant numbers of international callers, allowing calls to be routed to various company offices.

Neither my Department nor ComReg has any authority to compel public bodies, including State Agencies, to use or display any particular telephone access codes in preference to alternative codes available.

I would draw the Deputy's attention however to arrangements in my Department which operates an 1890 lo-call option for users contacting my Department from fixed line numbers and a standard 01-6782000 access code which allows mobile phone users to contact my Department at the standard rate charged by their service provider or within bundled minutes, depending on the package any customer has chosen.