Fianna Fáil Senator Eugene Murphy recently proposed writing to Eir following an increasing number of complaints about the telecommunications company’s response times to landline breakages.
Speaking in the Seanad prior to summer recess, Murphy said he had received a number of complaints from local customers.
“The difficulty for some members of the public in getting a quick response from Eir in relation to landline breakages is concerning,” Murphy said.
The Fianna Fáil Senator said landlines were a vital link for senior citizens and that breakages were simply taking too long to fix.
“They are breaking down and there is no chance of getting them fixed for weeks and weeks,” he said.
“We must always remember in relation to those landlines there is the security aspect too, where many of them are linked up to the alarms.
“Would it be in order that we could write to Eir? I know they’re no longer a semi-state body and can longer invite its representatives in here (Seanad). We could invite them to appear before a committee however. It is simply not good enough that people can sometimes be waiting for eight, ten or 12 weeks, particularly when the alarm is so important to them”.
Murphy said delays could be due to a lack of trained staff.
“Some of the staff tell me the issue is down to a lack of staff. The staff are trying to cover a huge area and they simply cannot do it,” he said.
“In some cases, even on Saturday mornings, some staff actually go beyond their duty of care and what they are responsible for to try to look after people who have been waiting for a long time to get their telephone lines repaired. The service is just appalling at the moment and Eir has to do better”.
