The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has approved Eircom's request for an increase in the cost of telephone line rentals to around €24.
The telecom regulator approved the increase from February 4th, making it the the third successive increase in telephone-line rental in a year.
Eircom's line rental charges for residential consumers are currently the highest in the European Union at €22.50. The proposed increase in line rental would push the monthly fee to €24.30, almost €10 higher than the EU average for line rental during 2003 of about €14.
A recent EU report published on the telecommunications market highlighted that Eircom's 2003 monthly line rental was about €9 more than Britain's fee and €9.50 more than France's fee.
Mr Dermott Jewell from the Consumers' Association criticised Eircom by saying it was "obvious they [Eircom] have no interest in the impact the increases are having on their customers."
He said there were "thousands of customers who rely on line rentals with no option to shop around." This increase, he said, was "one more too much."
The Progressive Democrats communications spokesman, Senator Tom Morrissey, called Eircom's request an "outrage", and added: "Eircom users are getting increasingly frustrated at rising phone costs and justifiably so. Today's announcement is a real slap in the face."
The Labour Party's Mr Tommy Broughan said: "The consumer is being utterly exploited by Eircom. No matter where the phone user turns, they face ever-increasing costs."
