asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will consider the advisability of having a public telephone installed at Doocastle, Ballymote, County Mayo.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will consider the advisability of having a public telephone installed at Cloontia, ballaghadereen, County Mayo.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will regard as a matter of urgency the installation of a public telephone in Stranooden Post Office, Monaghan.

I propose, with your permission, Sir, to take Questions Nos. 23, 24 and 26 together.

Stranooden, Cloontia and Doocastle are not included in the call office programme for the current financial year announced in my reply to a question by Deputy Spring on the 14th March. It is not, I regret, possible to say when call offices will be provided at these places.

On Question No. 26, will the Minister give an assurance that the installation of telephones in sub-post offices will be considered on the basis of urgency and that local conditions will be fully considered?

That is what they are arguing, Deputy. There are 700 offices to be connected and the engineering department complete 137 each year. They are taken in relation to the demand in each area.

Is urgency a primary consideration?

It is.

If that is so, then the area mentioned in my question should be very high on the priority list.