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Telephone numbers in the Republic of Ireland

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Telephone numbers in Ireland
Location of Ireland (dark green)
Location
CountryIreland
ContinentEurope
RegulatorComReg
TypeOpen
NSN length9
Format(0xx) xxx xxxx
Access codes
Country code353
International access00
Long-distance0
List of Ireland dialing codes

Numbers on the Irish Telephone Numbering Plan are regulated and assigned to operators by Comreg. The numbers are assigned as follows:

Overview and history

Telephone numbers in Ireland are similar in format to those in many European open numbering plans, for example the UK or Germany with only the subscriber's number being required for local dialing. However, it is also possible to dial local calls with the full area code without any difference in charge. The trunk prefix is '0' followed by an area code, the first digit of which indicates the geographical area.

Area codes have varied in length, between one and three digits, and subscribers' numbers between five and seven digits but a migration to a standard format, (0xx) xxx xxxx, is in progress.

This process is only being carried out as needed where existing area codes and local numbering systems have reached capacity.

Dublin numbers are currently seven digits, but may change to eight digits in the future, although breaking the city into separate area codes would match the rest of the national system.

The 08 numbering range was previously used for calls to Northern Ireland, but following the UK's renumbering of Northern Ireland in 2000, this changed, so to call a number in Belfast from the Republic:

  • Before 2000: (080) 1232 xxx xxx
  • After 2000: (048) 90xx xxxx; or via the UK numbering plan; 00 44 28 90xx xxxx

Calls to Northern Ireland landlines are, unlike calls to the rest of the UK, charged at national rates[1].

Until the early 1990s, the 03 numbering range was originally used for calls to Great Britain, with the Irish prefix 030 replacing the UK trunk code 0. Calls to British cities using the Director telephone system were made using shorter codes:

This was discontinued in 1992, when the international access code changed from 16 to 00, and calls to Great Britain required the country code 44 and the area code in full.

For a short period in the early 1990s 0300 was used for premium rate services (see below)

The prefixes 151x, 1530, 1540, 1550 (Initially 0300), 1559, 1560, 1570 and 1580 are for premium rate Services which are more expensive than other telephone calls. These numbers provide a range of services from weather forecasting to adult dating. Regtel an independent body monitors the premium rate services industry.

Freephone services use the prefix 1800, while shared cost (Lo-Call) numbers use the prefix 1850. 1890 (local rate) numbers are issued to non-geographic services, with 0818 being charged at national rate, or slightly higher.

One disadvantage of this arrangement is that Irish shared cost numbers are inaccessible from outside the Republic (unlike, for example, UK local and national rate numbers, which can be accessed by dialing 0044845 or 0044870), although numbers with the 0818 prefix can be dialled internationally, for example, as 00353818 from the UK. Consequently, many organisations that operate on both sides of the border advertise separate non-geographic numbers, for example, a 1800, 1850 or 0818 number for callers from the Republic, and an 0800, 0845 or 0870 number for callers from Northern Ireland.

Dial-up Internet providers are entitled, but not required, to use numbers in the 189x range. 1891 numbers cost slightly below local call rate, and are often provided for subscription dialup packages. 1892 numbers are used for full local rate dialup, and 1893 for variable-rate dialup.

A new area was introduced in 2005, using the 076 access code. This is allocated to VOIP providers, and is treated as either a national or local call by individual telecoms operators.

The 13xxx code is used for accessing third party phone service providers and some internet services. These codes can be used to route calls to local, mobile, national or long distance numbers. However, most customers use carrier preselect, where the local telephone switch automatically routes calls over their desired service provider(s)

Geographically assigned

Main article: List of Irish dialling codes
  • 01 - Dublin area - also extends to certain parts of Wicklow, Meath and Kildare.
  • 021-029 - Most of County Cork; Cork City, Bantry, Bandon, Fermoy etc
  • 0402 - Arklow.
  • 0404 - Wicklow.
  • 041-047, 049 - North East Midlands and parts of Wicklow .
  • 048 - Northern Ireland landline access (may also be dialed as an international call to the UK using 004428 ).
  • 051-059 Midlands and South East.
  • 060 Currently unused.
  • 061-069 South West and Mid West Area
  • 071, 074 - North West Area.
  • 090-099 - Midlands and Western Area.

Mobile services

Mobile phones use the prefixes 083, 085, 086, 087 and 089. 088 was previously issued to the Eircell analogue service. This has subsequently been issued to Digiweb. While mobile numbers are portable between operators, all new numbers are issued in an operators own allocation - 083 for 3, 085 for Meteor, 086 for O2, 087 for Vodafone and 089 for Tesco. The full number must be dialed even if it has the same prefix as the caller's number this is due to Eircell and Esat Digifone allocating numbers starting with 0 within their prefix range (for example 087 0xxxxxx).

Note: Mobile Number Portability has been in operation since the early 2000s. While a new connection to any network will take the prefix above, there is no guarantee that a number with one of those prefixes has remained on that network. In addition, a given network is not guaranteed to receive all of their prefix block. The numbers in each prefix are allocated in blocks of several thousand to the networks, as they require them, thus ComReg could in theory, allocate 083 numbers to Vodafone.

Direct-to-voicemail

Every Irish mobile number has a corresponding voicemail box number. This is formed by prefixing the last 7-digits of the mobile number with the digit 5

E.g. to call the voicemail box associated with mobile number 085 XXX XXXX you would dial 085 5 XXX XXXX

Unused

Defunct / Historical

  • 03 - Reserved (Formerly used for Great Britain and premium rate services). Reserved for changes in the numbering scheme.
  • 080 - Formerly used for Northern Ireland landlines
  • 084 - Formerly used for Belfast landlines
  • 16 - Old international prefix (no longer in use)
  • 910 - For operator assisted calls to some areas without direct dialling

Reserved

  • 07 - all except 0707, 0700 and 076 are reserved without assigned purpose.
    • 0707 - Reserved for personal numbering.
    • 076 - Reserved for non geographical numbering (Voice over IP services).
  • 0800 - Reserved (+353 800 is international freefone).

Special numbers

  • 00 - International Access.
  • 020 91x xxxx - Drama use (although the rest of the 020 area code is free).
  • 0700 - Personal Numbering.
  • 076 - Voice over IP services.
  • 080 - Mailbox for landline users (Formerly NI access code).
  • 0818 - Universal Access (similar to personal numbering).

Operator Services

  • 10 - eircom Operator (not accessible from mobiles, payphones, or from other fixed line networks)
  • 112 - Emergency Services (The long established 999 code also works)
  • 114 - eircom International Operator (not accessible from mobiles, payphones, or from other fixed line networks)
  • 118xx - Directory Enquiries (Multiple commercial providers offer a variety of services in this number range)
  • 999 - Emergency Services (The pan European 112 code also works)

Other Network Services

  • 171 - Voicemail
  • 1191 - Speaking Clock
  • 199xxx... - Network operator specific engineering codes (undefined length) - e.g. to have your phone number read-back on eircom or Smart Telcom dial 199000

Fixed line service prefixes

(These are to be followed by a destination number)

  • 13xxx - Carrier selection (Third party long distance, international and internet services). These codes override the default carrier.
  • 141 - Caller ID default override - Withhold Caller ID on this call.
  • 142 - Caller ID default override - Present Caller ID on this call.

Special charge services prefixes

  • 15xx - Premium Rate
  • 1800 - Freephone (Saorghlao)
  • 1850 - CallSave (Glao sábhála) (per call charge)
  • 1890 - Lo Call (Lóghlao) (local rate access)
  • 1891 - Low Cost Internet Access
  • 1892 - Local rate Internet Access
  • 1893 - Variable Cost Internet Access

Basic Call Management Services

These are available on all eircom provided fixed lines. There is a more expansive range of services available, but these are the most commonly used.

Call Waiting:

  • *43# - Activate
  • #43# - Dectivate
  • *#43# - Check status

Unconditional Call Forwarding:

  • *21* [destination number] # - Activate
  • #21# - deactivate
  • *#21# - Check Status

Alarm / Reminder call

  • *55* [time in 4-digit 24 hour clock] # - Activate
  • #55# - Deactivate all
  • #55*[time in 4-digit 24 hour clock]# - Deactivate specific time only.
  • *#55# - Check Status

Ring Back when Free:
On hearing a busy tone:

  • *37# - Activate
  • #37# - Cancel

Check Last Missed Call:

  • 1471

Delete Missed Call List:

  • #93#

References

  1. ^ See Eircom's pricing
  2. ^ Digiweb Mobile takes 088, Press Release (05/04/2007)
  3. ^ Irish Examiner "After 16 years it's almost all over for Eircell's analogue network" (10/05/2001)
  4. ^ o2.com "O2 UK and Tesco Mobile joint-venture"
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