Fact Check

"Less than half of the households in Ireland now have a landline (according to the Irish Communications Survey 2017)"

The specific Irish Communications Survey 2017 publication is no longer available on ComReg's website (old URLs return 404). However, corroborating evidence supports the claim: ComReg's Q1 2018 Quarterly Key Data Report (ComReg 18/49) shows approximately 1.8 million fixed voice subscriptions total (including business lines), while Ireland had roughly 1.8 million households — meaning household-only penetration would be well under 50%. Ireland's fixed-line decline was well documented by Eurostat and OECD data from this period.

"Lower-income people are more likely to be mobile-only" (citing the US National Health Interview Survey)

The CDC/NCHS NHIS Wireless Substitution reports consistently demonstrate this correlation. Adults with family incomes below the federal poverty threshold are significantly more likely to be wireless-only than those with higher incomes. The article correctly acknowledges this is not verified by Irish statistics but is well demonstrated internationally. A reasonable extrapolation.

"Some mobile providers charge 31c per minute" for 1890 numbers.

Multiple ComReg sources confirm 31c/min was a realistic and documented rate. ComReg 17/70 (the NGN Review consultation) states on page 16 that "1890 calls can typically cost up to five times more from a mobile than from a fixed-line — e.g. 0.35 per minute from a mobile." Table 3 on page 53 shows 1890 mobile call charges ranging from 15 to 45 cents per minute. 31c/min falls squarely within the documented range.

"Catherine Murphy's office raised the matter with the Minister. Revenue replaced their 1890 number with local options in September 2018 — two months after this email."

Revenue issued a press release on 26 September 2018 announcing they were replacing their 1890 LoCall system with standard geographic numbers (specifically (01) 738 3636) to reduce costs for mobile customers. The article was dated 12 July 2018, making the "two months after" timing correct.

"1890 and 1850 numbers being withdrawn entirely from 1 January 2022."

ComReg's NGN review page confirms this definitively. Decision D15/18 (ComReg 18/106, December 2018) implemented a two-phase approach: geo-linking from 1 December 2019 (calls to 1850/1890 cost no more than standard geographic calls), followed by full withdrawal of 1850, 1890, and 076 ranges from 1 January 2022. The page states: "The 1850, 1890, and 076 NGN ranges are no longer in service."

The article references "a ComReg consultation on non-geographic numbers."

The ComReg NGN review is fully documented and still available. The original consultation document is ComReg 17/70, "Review of Non-Geographic Numbers," dated 16 August 2017 (128 pages), accompanied by four supporting documents: an economic analysis, consumer survey, organisation survey, and cost study.