Emergency Services

Tuesday, 19 May 2026

Questions (581)

James Geoghegan

Question:

581. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the person or body a member of the public can contact in relation to a complaint in respect of a call operator on the 999 emergency call answering service; the way a member of the public can obtain a transcript of their specific phone call and the operator's remarks to the caller during that phone call in circumstances where that member of the public seeks to make a formal complaint; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37613/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport (Deputy Patrick O'Donovan)

Members of the public can contact the Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS) on a dedicated freephone line on 1800 882 830 for complaints and queries. In addition, members of the public can contact ECAS on the 112 website, (www.112.ie/contact), via links along the bottom of the home page. To obtain information held about their phone call to ECAS, members of the public can request a copy of this information, including their call recording by clicking on the Privacy Policy (www.112.ie/privacy-policy) link on the 112 website.

ECAS is responsible for answering all: 112 and 999 calls, Real-Time Texts (RTT), SMS messages (texts) and eCalls from vehicles. The ECAS seeks to establish the Emergency Service being requested, that is, An Garda Síochána (AGS), Fire Service, Ambulance Service, Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) or, in emergencies involving aircraft, AirNav Ireland. The ECAS also determines the location of the caller for the purpose of routing the communication to the most appropriate control centre for that Emergency Service.

All ECAS operators follow call handling procedures agreed with the Emergency Services. The role of the ECAS operator is to connect the call to an operator within the appropriate Emergency Service.