(Dublin Central): Would the Minister agree that although, according to the Minister's financial statement yesterday, there was a huge increase in capital investment by the State, there was a reduction in telephone communication traffic? How does he reconcile those factors?

There was a certain reduction in the traffic. We are wandering rather far from the subject of this question, but I am prepared to wander a little while with the Deputy. There was a decrease in the volume of traffic for a certain time due to the recession, but, as the Minister for Finance made clear in a part of his speech that the Deputy passes over, the volume of traffic has subsequently picked up in the second half of 1976 due to the falling off of the recession.

(Dublin Central): Would the Minister not agree that the fall in telephone communication traffic is due to the deplorable service and the high charges?

We are getting away from this question.

I have made quite clear the effort my Department are making to improve the service and I am afraid that, as I shall establish in my statement in the course of the budget debate, high charges and massive investment are linked.

Order. I have called Deputy Allen to ask a final supplementary.