Farmers who are IFA members will be able to have tell phone lines installed for £75 instead of the usual £145, under an agreement between Telecom Eireann and the Irish Farmers Association. The package will also require them to buy a Telecom personal alarm system for an additional £190.
Announcing a project to tackle crime in rural areas, the IFA said yesterday that almost a fifth of rural homes do not have a telephone.
The "rural link" scheme is based on a panic button system operated by Telecom Phonewatch. Monitoring costs £40 a year and the normal installation cost is £225.
Telecom said yesterday it was in talks with other community groups with a view to extending the rates to members of other associations, including in urban areas.