DEATH ON THE WEB.(News)

IRELAND'S death notices are going hi-tech with the introduction of premium rate phone-in and Internet services.

A Dublin-based phone company called Death Notices, is to put death on the net by listing everyone who dies in the country on a website.

They are also planning to provide e-mail and telephone access to details of the deceased which up to now have only been available in newspapers.

The service is said to have been well received by the public, including the visually impaired who can now telephone to check the notices.

Mr Jim Fly, a spokesman for the service, describes it as "very worthwhile".

"There's death notices in newspapers and local radio stations, but there's no one place where you can get all of the deaths available in one location, until now," he said.

"Eighty-seven people die a day according to the Central Statistics Office, and we generally have about 95% of those deaths."

The service has advertised in various Irish-based magazines, and backers feel that their internet service is of particular interest.

Ads can be placed or information received by e-mailing them at www.deathnotices.