asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will arrange to have a telephone kiosk provided at Monteen Cross, Bilboa, Crettyard, Carlow, County Kilkenny.

6.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will arrange to have a telephone kiosk provided at Muckalee, Ballyfoyle, County Kilkenny.

I propose with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together.

Kiosks are not being provided in rural areas such as Monteen Cross and Muckalee where there are no post offices.

Is the Minister aware that, while both those areas can be described as rural areas, they are both very heavily populated and, in the case of Mooneenroe, there are two factories in the district and several hundred households and they have no access to telephonic communications other than the provision of a public telephone?

I appreciate the Deputy's concern. Under existing regulations and practice, as they have been in force for many years, it is not possible for the State to provide a kiosk in such an area without a post office, except under the guarantee system from a local authority or other such body, of which I think the Deputy is aware. I am not fully happy about the existing regulations and practice about the provision of kiosks in rural areas. I have the question under study at the moment of whether certain changes can be made in this practice leading to economies in the public service and, I would hope also, to greater possibility of satisfaction for the people in rural areas.

Is the Minister conscious of the fact that the apparent discrimination against people resident in rural areas is a matter of some concern to those people, and will he remove this cause of irritation in any subsequent review of the regulations?

I am not aware of any discrimination against rural areas in this matter. If the Deputy gave me any evidence of that I would certainly look into it with care. My Department are anxious to be fair both to people in rural areas and, of course, to those urban areas where, in rapidly expanding suburbs, the provision of kiosks is a matter of concern and also, of course, a costly matter because of the vandalism question. I am looking very carefully at the whole thing and I am very anxious to consider representations from Deputies. If they can show me they have reason to believe the rural areas are discriminated against in any way in this area, I will certainly check it.

It is inherent in what the Minister said that the necessity for the provision of telephone services in newly built-up urban areas seems to take some precedence over areas which are not urban areas.

I did not say that.

The Minister asked for evidence.

As Minister, I have to take note of the fact, which affects the postal services as every other service, of movements of population. Primarily we are here to render services to people wherever the people are, whether they are in built-up urban areas or in rural areas, but to people. If there are a lot of people in one place in, say, a Dublin suburb, I do not apologise for giving those people equal consideration with people in rural areas. I do not regard that as discrimination. I do not think the Deputy would suggest it is.

7.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of telephone kiosks provided in County Dublin which were guaranteed by the county council during the last 12 months; and their locations.

None.

8.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the total cost of having telephone kiosks repaired in the Walkinstown, Greenhills, Perrystown, Templeogue, Rathfarnham, Firhouse and Tallaght areas of County Dublin during the past 12 months.

Figures for repairs as distinct from total maintenance costs are not available. The total cost of maintaining the kiosks in the areas mentioned during the past 12 months is estimated at £12,000 approximately.

9.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when the construction of the public telephone kiosk envisaged for the Avondale Park and Killarney Park areas of Bray, County Wicklow will commence; and when the kiosk will be operational.

The kiosk referred to was brought into service on 1st July.

10.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will provide a telephone kiosk to service the Sarsfield Terrace and Raheen Park areas at Youghal, County Cork.

A kiosk has been provided recently at Dermot Hurley Estate, Youghal, to serve the combined Dermot Hurley and nearby Raheen Park/Sarsfield Terrace areas. The provision of a further kiosk in the area would not be justified at present.

May I suggest that the Minister is misinformed or under a misapprehension about the distance between the Dermot Hurley Estate and the location of the telephone which is the subject matter of my question? It is a large populous and expanding estate. In view of all that, will he further look into the necessity for providing a kiosk in this area also?

If the Deputy can show me I am misinformed, I am certainly prepared to look into it again. It is always quite possible that a Minister may be misinformed and that a Deputy with local knowledge may be able to correct him. I will look into it. I am informed at the moment that the kiosks at North Main Street and Dermot Hurley Estate are both about half a mile from the Sarsfield Terrace area.

This sounds familiar.

The nearest kiosk to Raheen Park is a quarter of a mile away at Dermot Hurley Estate.

Is the Minister aware that before the Dermot Hurley Estate was built, the Minister's predecessor considered providing a telephone kiosk for the Raheen Park/ Sarsfield Terrace area?

I am not so aware.

11.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will provide a telephone kiosk at Philip O'Neill Place, Cobh, County Cork.

The use made of the existing kiosk serving the Philip O'Neill Place area would not be sufficient to justify providing a further kiosk there at present.

12.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will provide a telephone kiosk at West End, Carrigtwohill, County Cork.

The use made of the existing kiosk serving West End, Carrigtwohill, is not sufficient to justify providing a further kiosk there at present.

Both these estates are very large, very populous and expanding. In reply to Deputy Gibbons a moment ago the Minister said expanding urban areas would be considered for priority. I would ask him to view these two applications in that light.

I assure the Deputy that I will keep the situation in both areas under review and, if the provision of a kiosk is warranted, it will be provided.

13.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when Cork County Council were notified by his Department of the details of the guarantee scheme for erection of telephone kiosks; and if any applications have been received by him from the council.

The answer to the first part of the Deputy's question is, in November, 1974. The answer to the second part of the question is "No".

14.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will provide a telephone kiosk at Maryville, Kildare.

The use made of the existing kiosk at Mellita Road which serves the Maryville area is not sufficient to warrant provision of an additional kiosk in the general area at present.

Does the Minister appreciate that all new house building in Kildare is centered around this area, and has he taken into account the close proximity of a factory complex there, and does he not feel that it warrants a telephone?

I am afraid I do not feel it warrants one at present. The creditable revenue of the existing kiosk was £483. Under standard procedures which would have to be applied fairly, otherwise people would rightly complain about discrimination, the revenue would need to have been £600. Of course, this situation may change, and it probably will change, and then it will be possible to provide a telephone.

15.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when it is proposed to erect a telephone kiosk at Bohola, County Mayo.

Within the next six weeks or so. Provision of the circuit necessary to give 24-hour service has, unfortunately, taken longer than expected.

Is the Minister aware that the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health, answering on his behalf nine months ago, promised that this would be erected early in 1975 and that considerable work had taken place early in 1974 to provide additional circuits? How can he explain the lack of planning at that time which is now apparent?

The Deputy is right. There was a rather serious error made in my Department in this matter owing to failure of the section concerned in the Department to advise the Engineering Branch of the urgency or to report the matter when it became clear that the forecast was in danger of not being met. I have full responsibility for this and I am looking into it to ensure that a repetition does not happen.

Will it be provided within six weeks?

I hope within the next six weeks or so.

16.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will arrange to have a telephone kiosk provided in Tour Village, Newport, County Tipperary.

The use made of the call office telephone at Tour Village is not sufficient to justify provision of a kiosk there.

17.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of applications his Department has received for telephone service in the following areas: Edenderry, Daingean, Tullamore, Birr, Banagher, Kilcormac, Ferbane, Portarlington, Mountmellick and Portlaoise: and when the applicants may expect to be given service.

Apart from about 45 orders which are having attention, there are about 255 applications awaiting attention, as follows:—Edenderry 15, Daingean 8, Tullamore 147, Birr 3, Banagher 1, Kilcormac 3, Ferbane 7, Portarlington 27, Mountmellick 8, Portlaoise 36. About 20 of these will be cleared later this year. It is hoped to clear the 1973 orders, most of the 1974 orders and some of the 1975 orders during 1976. The balance of the orders are unlikely to be met until 1977.

The Minister will agree that Tullamore is a highly populated and industrial town and could he assure me if something will be done to improve the situation?

I appreciate the Deputy's concern. The position at Tullamore, where there are 147 applicants on the waiting list, is that there are 1,100 lines in the automatic exchange. Because of congestion, 200 are unlikely to become available until an auxilary exchange of 1,000 lines is brought into service about mid-1977. Interim relief is being provided by a mobile exchange which is expected to be ready by early 1976 giving 200 extra lines. Only high priority orders are being met at present because of the small number of terminations available. It is hoped to clear the 1973 and some of the 1974 orders in the third quarter of 1976 as a result of the interim relief, and to cater for priority demand up to mid-1977. My Department are concerned about the situation not only in Tullamore but in other areas.

18.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of applications for telephones in County Cork in each of the years 1973 and 1974 and for the first four months of 1975; and the number of telephones installed during the same periods.

The figures requested in the first part of the question—for the Cork engineering district which covers the county Cork except for minor differences—are 4,300, 4,250, and 1,150 respectively and the corresponding figures requested in the second part are 3,200, 3,200 and 1,150 respectively.

19.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the total number of applications on hand for telephone services; the number of telephones being provided each month; and the steps he proposes to take to speed up the installation of telephones.

The answer to the first part of the question is 40,000 on 31st March last and to the second part about 3,000 connections a month on average since the beginning of 1975. The latter figure represents an increase of 20 per cent approximately in connections over the average monthly figure for last year.

As regards the third part of the question, development works required to make good arrears and to cater for further growth, such as provision of new exchanges, extension of existing exchanges, laying of underground cables and overhead plant, provision of new and additional trunk systems are being pushed ahead as rapidly as possible on the basis of substantially increased investment. The numbers of skilled engineering and other staffs are also being expanded.

Is the Minister aware that if he has 40,000 applications and he is dealing with only 3,000 a month the situation will get worse as time proceeds? Is that the actual position?

No, it is not the actual position. The waiting list is very considerable but at the moment it is tending to round off. Owing in part to the economic situation, the number of new applications is not increasing, whereas the rate of connections is increasing and has increased and the rate of the increase is being maintained. For example, in the two years 1971 and 1972 the total number of connections was 46,000 and in the combined years 1973-74 it was 61,000. My Department are doing their job in increasing the rate of connections as fast as they can and the tendency will be to bring down the waiting list, which is 40,000 now as against 41,000 at the turn of the year. The reasons for this are not entirely satisfactory in that we would want more people to be applying, but what is satisfactory is the steady stepping up of the connections at the rate of 20 per cent. My Department have done well in this matter. The Government have been proved right to provide, in very difficult conditions, increased capital for telephone development. For the benefit of Deputy Timmons who is not here——

Perhaps the Minister will agree that he compared 1973-74 with 1972.

I took 1971-72 and 1973-74. If the Deputy wants the statistics year by year——

No, I am just concerned because I have a number of constituents, as the Minister has——

We have the same constituents.

Possibly we will not have the same constituents in the future.

Even the best friends must part.

We can communicate by telephone.

The question put down by Deputy Timmons is important. I am sorry he is not here and I am also sorry the spokesman for Posts and Telegraphs for the Opposition is not here.

These are tendentious remarks.

Occasionally I slip into that.

I am endeavouring to explore this matter very seriously. We have constituents——

We have indeed.

The Chair is endeavouring to get questions through.

The position is particularly difficult but as Minister I cannot give preferential treatment.

Far be it from me to suggest it.

One final supplementary question from Deputy Haughey.

I had not asked any supplementary questions. The Minister and I were just exchanging pleasantries.

We have no time for that just now.

Where is the delay? I gather that capital is being provided. Is the delay occasioned from difficulty in procuring the necessary equipment? Where is the bottleneck? We still have lowest number of telephones per head of any of the OECD countries.

We have had for some time. The Deputy's supplementary is very important and people will want to know the answer. In general, it takes about two-and-a-half years before the full effects either of cuts or expansions of capital provision are felt. We have felt and still are feeling the effects of the capital crux made in 1971 of which I am sure Deputy Haughey did not approve. We have not yet felt the full effects of the stepping up of capital commitment which began, I must say, to be fair, in 1972 and was continued in 1973 up to the present. There are bottlenecks of all kinds in connection with both availability of skilled personnel, equipment, and so on. There are contractors' slippages, and so on. It is a vast programme and the Deputy will be well aware that there are difficulties in putting that through but I personally think that my Department have a right to be proud of a 20 per cent increase in the rate of connections. O.K. It would be better if it was 30 per cent or 40 per cent. We hope we will continue improving it.

I am afraid the public do not agree.

I am calling Question No. 20.

20.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when a telephone will be supplied to a person in County Laois (name supplied) who lives alone and is under medical care and who applied last year.

It is expected to provide service for the person named within the next two months.

21.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of applicants on the waiting list for telephones in the Clondalkin area of County Dublin; and when they will be facilitated.

It is expected that service will be provided for about 40 applicants during the next three months or so and for most of the remainder in the second half of next year following completion of a Clondalkin-Tallaght link cable.

22.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when a telephone will be installed for an applicant (name supplied) in the Rathnew/Ashford area, County Wicklow.

It is hoped to instal a telephone for the person named before the end of October next.

Is the Minister aware that work is being undertaken in the immediate vicinity of this person at the moment on the installation of telephones? I am not too sure as to whether or not I have had a word from the Minister earlier about this to the effect that the applicant would have a telephone installed in the second or third quarter of this year.

The person will have a telephone before the end of October next. Any installations in her area that are occurring before hers would have to be based on priority. If the Deputy is aware of any cases which do not appear to fall into priority and are being treated ahead of her, I would be grateful for the details.

I will be in communication with the Minister, not necessarily on the point of priority.

All right.

23.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when a telephone will be provided for an applicant in County Dublin (name supplied).

It is hoped to provide a telephone for the person named by the end of August next.

24.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when a telephone will be provided for a person in County Waterford (name supplied) who made application in January, 1973.

It is hoped to provide a telephone for the person named about the end of this year.

The Minister must accept that this applicant has been discriminated against. It has been accepted by the office that his application was lost or mislaid within the Department and people who applied several months later have since received the service.

I am not aware of the circumstances referred to by the Deputy.

This man's application was mislaid within the Department, as has been accepted by the area office.

If the Deputy can show me evidence to that effect, I will certainly have the matter looked into.

25.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of telephones provided in the Blessington-Kilbride area of County Wicklow during the past 12 months.

The number provided was 35.

26.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of applicants for telephones on the waiting list in the Lucan area, County Dublin; and when these applications will be met.

About 385. Service will be provided for about 40 of these within the next three months. Most of the remainder are unlikely to have attention before the end of next year when an extension to the exchange is due to be brought into service.

27.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of applicants for telephones on the waiting list in the Blanchardstown area, County Dublin; and when these applications will be met.

About 340. It is hoped to provide service for the majority of these within three months or so of installation of additional equipment, which is expected to be in service about September next.

28.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will reconsider his refusal to provide a telephone to an applicant in Youghal, County Cork (name supplied) who is a chronic invalid, totally incapacitated and who is living alone during her daughter's working hours.

The circumstances as represented in a medical certificate submitted to my Department are not sufficiently compelling or exceptional to warrant priority treatment. The application will, however, be met as early as practicable— probably in about four months.

Is the Minister aware that the applicant in this case suffers from a severe heart condition, as certified by her doctor, that she is also blind and that the fact that there are a number of telephones in the vicinity is of no use to her and that unless she is provided with the service almost immediately either she will be hospitalised or her daughter will have to give up her job? These are the facts. Would the Minister please re-examine the matter in that light?

I am prepared to look at the matter again but I am afraid at this stage I am not satisfied that the circumstances are entirely as the Deputy represents.

The Minister told me that there were other telephones available in the vicinity. I am now suggesting that these are useless to a person who is immobilised and almost blind.

One circumstance which has not been reported to me is that the applicant is almost blind. If that is a fact I will certainly look at the matter.

That is a fact.

29.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the reason for the delay in providing a telephone for a person in County Waterford (name supplied).

Attention to the application in question has had to be deferred because of the amount of construction work required and the arrears of other work in the engineering district concerned. It is expected that service will be provided by the end of September.

30.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will arrange for the early installation of a telephone in an office in Galway (name supplied).

It is hoped to instal a telephone at the address mentioned by the end of August next.

31.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of complaints about the operation of the telephone service received in his Department each month since 1st January 1975.

The approximate figures of service complaints are as follows: January, 1975, 2,500; February, 1975, 2,000; March, 1975, 1,800; April, 1975, 2,300; May, 1975, 2,100; June, 1975, 2,600.

The total for the six months was 13,300. The total number of complaints for the corresponding six months of last year was 17,200.

32.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when a telephone will be provided at the sports complex, Tallaght Community Schools, County Dublin.

The telephone requirements of the Tallaght Community Schools, as recently modified, were met at the end of last month.

33.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the improvements that are being undertaken at the telephone exchange at Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow; the cost of these improvements; the anticipated number of new lines which will be available; and if these new lines will meet the demands for telephones from present and prospective residents in the forseeable future.

Equipment to provide service for up to 150 subscribers' lines is expected to be ready for service by the end of this year. Further extension of the exchange equipment, catering for 350 more subscribers' lines should be available late in 1977 and is estimated to suffice to meet demand for telephones for a number of years. The cost is in the region of £50,000 excluding cabling works which will be required within two years or so.

34.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the extent of the improvements to the telephone exchange at Roundwood, County Wicklow; and the number of new lines which will become available as a result of these improvements.

It is expected that additional trunk circuits will be provided to cater for 20 extra subscribers' lines in 1976 and over 100 more in 1977.

35.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the extent and cost of improvements to the telephone exchange at Bray, County Wicklow; the number of new outlets which will become available; and if these present improvements will meet the demands of this growing area in the future.

Equipment to cater for 600 new subscriber lines in the Bray area and over 100 outlets were provided last year.

Equipment to cater temporarily for about 600 subscribers and to provide 100 outlets is expected to be brought into service in Shankill, which is served by Bray exchange, about the end of this year.

Another 600 subscriber-line extension of Bray exchange and 100 outlets are expected to be in service in 1977.

Work has commenced on a new exchange building at Shankill. The new exchange there should be in service in 1978. It will relieve Bray exchange of a considerable area in County Dublin.

The total cost of the works mentioned including the Shankill exchange building and equipment is about one million pounds.

Plans are at present being prepared in the Office of Public Works for extension of the Bray exchange building which will provide space for about 6,000 more subscribers' lines.

These improvements and developments, when completed, are expected to meet the needs of the Bray area for many years.

36.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when the proposed extension to the telephone exchange at Arklow, County Wicklow, will be commenced; the number of new lines which will then be available; and the number of applications for telephones currently with his Department from this area.

An extension of up to 300 lines is expected to be provided late next year or early in 1977. A further extension will be installed when the exchange building has been enlarged. The answer to the last part of the question is 92.

I thank the Minister for those replies. Is the Minister in a position to tell me as yet what advances have been made in regard to the acquisition of the necessary ground for the improvement of the exchange in Arklow?

I am sorry, I do not have that information but I will supply it to the Deputy.

Is the Minister aware that this might be the cause of the hold-up?

I am not so aware but I will communicate with the Deputy.

37.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the cost of extra telephone equipment required for the telephone exchange at Blessington, County Wicklow; and the number of additional lines that will become available as a result of this work.

The cost of extra exchange equipment being installed and on order for Blessington Telephone Exchange is about £23,000. The equipment will cater for up to 200 additional subscribers' lines.

38.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the improvements that are being envisaged to meet the shortage of telephone equipment at the Valleymount exchange, County Wicklow; and the cost of these improvements.

Arrangements are in hand to provide equipment for 20 extra lines in 1976 and 20 more in 1977 at a total cost including provision of a small exchange building of the order of £9,000.

39.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if telephone equipment delivered to Galway GPO for installation at Eglinton Street has since been removed; and, if so, if he will make a statement on the matter.

The answer to the first part of the question is "No" and the second part does not, therefore, arise.

40.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if any arrangements were made by his Department for the renting of property at Eglinton Street, Galway to accommodate telephone exchange equipment; and if he will be proceeding with these arrangements.

No such arrangements were made. The second part of the question does not, therefore, arise.

41.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when it is proposed to install an automatic exchange at Kilronan Post Office, Aran Islands, County Galway.

It is hoped to convert Kilronan telephone exchange to automatic working in about three years.