Dermot, I really had a bad dream tonight

That Joe Duffy Show was quite upsetting, I guess. Our rubber stamping of Eircoms 3rd massive line rental increase within a year did not go down well with the public and Joe can be some nasty piece of work.

Quote from the Duffy Show: Caller Cormac to John Doherty, chairman of Comwreck: "I want to say to you, sir, that you're a complete waste of space and taxpayers' money. I'd like you to tell the public what it is you think your job is."

I don't know how much longer we can defend the indefensible?

In each and every of our Quarterly Reports we've omitted a line rental comparison of Ireland with the rest of Europe; Ireland is so painfully out of line; we've probably the worlds highest line rental price – but, touch wood, our bovine journalists did not notice anything yet.

We've rubber-stamped Eircom's "Vulnerable User Scheme", which is nothing but a clever trick to allow them to up the line rental to an incredible 24.18 euros per month now. From a consumer rights point of view it is indefensible. The user of this scheme has no way of knowing what he is paying for. Thanks God we've no effective consumer protection, neither independent nor as a State body, in this country.

Apart from our own actions, your ministerial colleague in the Department of Social Affairs is also massively contributing to Eircom's line rental price hike: By paying some 13 percent of line rentals directly out of the tax payers money – for the OAP's that is – he gives Eircom strong support: The weakest members of society have no reason to complain about the line rental pricing, the State pays it on their behalf, they are not even aware of it. It would be so much cheaper for the State to supply the elderly with contract mobiles and a mobile would be so much more useful for this group of persons anyway. Think about it.

Dermot – tell me this is only a dream!
As I know all too well, my ComWreck is a lame duck and we'll keep doing our utmost to keep that a secret. In tonight's nightmare the truth had come out big time and you (or was it Joe or the public?), were coming after us like a savage shark. You accused us of being the most overstaffed of all European regulators and the most unsuccessful. I woke up drenched in sweat.



I've heard rumours about plans in the Comms Ministry to downgrade our 120 strong office and practically resettle it as a much smaller unit closer to the Department of Communications. Surely there is no truth in that??

I know, we lost each and every game against the rat; ComWreck simply is no match; but I would really like to continue these cosy ways; a good many of us have our background in Eircom and are still loyal to it – and funny enough we got this reputation in the Irish press of being hard and strong, when really we are simply ineffective.



When will my dreams feel like this again?


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