Phone Numbers

• Is ComReg responsible for making number changes?
• I am moving house, can I keep my current phone number?
• How much will my call cost?
• How do I contact emergency services?
• Further information on numbering

Is ComReg responsible for making number changes?

ComReg manages and administers the National Numbering Scheme in order to ensure that adequate reserves of telephone numbers exist for all new customers and services.  The Numbering Plan for Ireland lists all numbers and codes that are available on public telecommunications networks. These include ordinary PSTN/ISDN telephone numbers linked to your home or business phone (geographic numbers), free phone, premium rate and internet access codes (non-geographic numbers) and mobile numbers. From time to time ComReg has to make changes to the National Numbering Plan, which may involve a number change but this process is managed with operators to ensure minimum disruption to consumers. 

I am moving house, can I keep my current phone number?

This will depend on the area you are moving to.  Your telephone number is allocated to a defined geographic area called a Minimum Numbering Area (MNA).  Your MNA is part of a wider STD (Subscriber Trunk Dialling) area which has a defined dialling code.  For example the STD code for Dublin is 01 and there are 3 MNAs within the 01 Dublin area.  If you are moving from one address within your current MNA to another address within the MNA, then it should be possible to move your number, although there may be some exceptions to this for technical reasons.  If, however, you are moving from Dublin to Cork, then you will be moving from the 01 area (Dublin) to the 021 area (Cork), it will therefore not be possible to move your number to a different STD dialling code area.

You should contact your service provider concerning all matters relating to phone numbers.  As an interim solution to the problem of moving, it may be a good idea to enable call forwarding on your old line so that calls will be forwarded from your old number, to your new location automatically.  All of these issues can be addressed by your current service provider.

How much will my call cost?

The numbering scheme is designed to provide you with information on the location of the person or service you are calling, and on the cost of that call. For example, if you are in the 091 area (Galway), and you dial a number within the 091 area, this is a local call. Calls to numbers outside your local area may be charged at a higher rate.

For non-geographic numbers (see below) the first four digits or the access code will give you information about the type and cost of the call you are making. For example, calls to 1800 numbers are free. See the table below for different calls types. 

How do I contact emergency services?

The emergency call numbers in Ireland are 999 and 112. The single European Union emergency call number is 112 and this number is in use in Member States of the EU. In Ireland, both numbers 999 and 112 exist in parallel and either of these numbers will all connect you to an operator where you can request assistance from the emergency services.

Further information on numbering

For further information on numbering in Ireland you can consult the Irish Telephony Numbering Scheme Status report which lists geographic, non geographic and mobile numbers along with all access and service codes ( click here to view report - PDF Download, 196Kb) or  click here for the National Numbering Conventions (PDF Download, 531Kb).