Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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1139. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if a low-cost option for persons telephoning Government Departments and offices from mobile phone networks could be instituted by his Department, in view of the fact that mobile phone ownership is far more extensive than landlines, including among the poorest sections of society. [13291/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The matter raised in the Question is a customer service issue for each individual public body including Government Departments.  The use and display of telephone numbers is an area in which I have no statutory function. While I cannot compel public bodies including Government Departments and offices to use or display any particular telephone access codes in preference to alternative codes available, I would draw the Deputy's attention 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 their bundled minutes package. Other Government Departments offering a lo-call number also offer a standard phone number which can be accessed both from within and outside Ireland and which may be less expensive for mobile users to use.