asked the Minister for Post and Telegraphs if he is aware of the hardship being experienced by telephone subscribers in the Renmore area of Galway city arising from overcharging on telephone bills; the reason for this situation; and the action that is being taken to ensure that only calls made from a particular private telephone are charged to that number.

I am aware that some telephone subscribers in the Renmore area of Galway city have queried the charges for metered calls included in their recent telephone accounts. These queries are being investigated. It has already been found that in some cases the charge for metered calls was too high and that this was due to the incorrect application of clerical procedures connected with the recently introduced computerised billing system. Amended accounts are being prepared and will be issued shortly to the subscribers concerned.

When the Minister says the bills were too high, is he aware that telephone bills in this area have increased by four and sometimes five times in the first three months of this year?

I am aware that incorrect accounts which were in some cases considerably too high have issued. I regret that, and amended accounts are being prepared and will issue shortly to the subscribers concerned. I regret the mishap and the inconvenience caused to those subscribers.

Is it possible that a telephone call made from a coin box can be charged to a private telephone subscriber?

That is a quite separate question.

I am trying to find out why this overcharging has occurred. It has occurred in one particular street in the Renmore area. At least five different telephone bills have increased by five times although the telephone in each case was used at the same rate as before. Surely there is something wrong.

Of course there is something wrong. I just explained in my original answer that there is something very wrong indeed, and that what went wrong is being corrected.

Question No. 23.

Did it go wrong at Galway General Post Office or at the accounts section in Dublin?

I do not have that information at the moment, but I will supply the Deputy with it.

Can the Minister say if this overcharging could have occurred in many other places in the country?

That is a separate question. It is an extension of this question. I cannot have it.

Many people are concerned about this problem.

To my knowledge it has not occurred anywhere else, and I most certainly hope it will not occur anywhere else, but if it does it will be put right as soon as possible.

Question No. 23 please.

23.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when an automatic telephone service will be provided in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim.

It is expected that automatic telephone service will be provided at Manorhamilton in about three years.

Can the Minister say why it will take three years to provide such a service?

Manorhamilton is only one of some hundreds of exchanges which are still to be converted to automatic working. Conversions are being done on a systematic planned basis. As far as is possible those exchanges which will serve the greatest number of subscribers are attended to first. Manorhamilton is one of a group of exchanges in this general area which are now at the advanced planning stage. An order for the exchange equipment will probably be placed later this year. The priority being given to Manorhamilton, which has 185 subscribers' lines, is a priority warranted.

Is the Minister aware that the North Western Health Board offices, covering the whole of the North West region, are situated there, that the hospital is situated there, and that there are factories and new advance factories waiting for clients to occupy them, and that the reason for the delay in people coming to Manorhamilton is the telephone service there?

I have given the Deputy the information he sought, that the automatic telephone service will be provided at Manorhamilton in about three years. I am afraid that is as soon as it can be done.

Is the Minister aware that people in that area are far more concerned about having automatic services in places like Manorhamilton than they are about ringing direct to Bangkok, Australia or other places?

The Deputy's statement is rather demagogic. The reason for improving our international communications service is to benefit business, and therefore employment and prosperity here, and not for frivolous purposes.

Order.

The Minister is not the least bit concerned about small places like Manorhamilton.

Order. Question No. 24 please.