asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will have a telephone kiosk erected in Kilmainhamwood village, County Meath.

A kiosk at Kilmain-hamwood is not warranted.

Would the Minister not agree that since the post office is a mile from the village a telephone kiosk is needed?

I understand that Kilmainhamwood village is less than threequarters of a mile from the post office where there is a call office telephone. There are 12 private telephones within a radius of one and a half miles. There are two coin boxes, one of which is available until late at night, so there appear to be telephone facilities in the area.

Is it true to say that the Department of Posts and Telegraphs expect a private subscriber to provide service for the people? I do not think it is fair that people should be called out of their beds at night to take telephone calls for other people. If there were a coin box in the area, that would not happen.

There are occasions when private people are asked to provide an emergency telephone service. As the Deputy will know when he reads the report, the number of kiosks is increasing constantly all over the country. We try to avoid unnecessary costs by not advancing the programme too rapidly and doing it on a steady basis in relation to total demand. When the Deputy reads the report of the number of new kiosks erected in the past financial year, he will see that the programme is advancing but it has to be related to financial considerations.

How do you estimate demand before a kiosk is erected?

It is rather complicated.

5.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will have a telephone kiosk erected in the village of Castletownkilpatrick, Navan, County Meath.

A kiosk at Castletownkilpatrick is not warranted.

Would the Minister not agree that there should be one outside the post office so that people could have access to it after 5 o'clock in the evening and before 9 o'clock in the morning? This would be giving the people a proper service.

The programme is proceeding gradually.

6.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will have a telephone kiosk erected at Kilbarry Cross, Navan, County Meath.

A kiosk at Kilbarry Cross is not warranted.