THE communications regulator is investigating a new round of
automated anti-abortion phone calls which have been reported by
householders around the country.
Comreg yesterday received four
new complaints about the calls, which include a recorded message making a
series of claims about abortion.
The 'robo-calls' began last month in the aftermath of the death of Indian mother-to-be Savita Halappanavar.
Her
death, in circumstances in which her husband says she repeatedly asked
for an abortion prior to her death, has led to much public debate about
Ireland's legal stance on abortion.
Last month, the Data
Protection Commissioner shut down a Dublin phoneline making automated
calls after it received more than 30 complaints about the number.
The
calls reportedly claimed to quote medical experts and said that Irish
doctors did not put the life of a mother at risk even if it meant the
death of an unborn child.
Last night, a spokesman for Comreg said
that the agency had received four complaints yesterday "in respect to
unsolicited calls received to their fixed line".
Householders were advised that they could contact Comreg on consumerline@comreg.ie to report the details of such calls.
Meanwhile, council workers have taken down graphic anti-abortion posters in the constituency of Justice Minister Alan Shatter, which had targeted him personally.
Obscene
Mr
Shatter described the posters, which were put up in the Ballinteer area
of south Co Dublin, as "obscene and insensitive" and said those
responsible were "too cowardly to include their identity".
Anti-abortion groups Youth Defence and the Life Institute said they had no knowledge of the posters.