asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (a) whether any requests were received by his Department for the disconnection of telephone lines serving the Ferenka factory in Annacotty, County Limerick; (b) the dates on which such requests were made; (c) the number and type of lines involved in such requests; and (d) the total number of lines previously used by that factory.

(Dublin South-Central): It would be contrary to long established practice to disclose information of the kind sought by the Deputy. It relates to a contract for service between the subscriber and my Department and is regarded as confidential.

Is the House to take it that a public service provided at public expense, which has contracts with individual subscribers, when it is relevant to a matter of prime public importance may not be inquired about in this House?

(Dublin South-Central): I am taking it in the same context as any contract within the Department. Confidentiality must obtain here as in all other contracts, not alone in regard to telephones but in our banking service.

Does the Parliamentary Secretary not accept that there is a difference between something which might be injurious to a person's credit or business, for instance, a bank account—a matter which is private and does not concern the State at all —and a question like this which concerns a State service? The Parliamentary Secretary understands perfectly why I want to know this. It is a matter of whether a public service is being provided in a particular location.

(Dublin South-Central): This is a long established practice. We do not divulge information regarding our subscribers.

Will the Parliamentary Secretary accept that I heard a rumour that requests for disconnection were made and I am now being left without a denial of that rumour?

(Dublin South-Central): If the Deputy had been in contact with the factory in Limerick he would know they had service.

I know they had service. That is not the question I asked. I asked whether there was a request for disconnection last month.

(Dublin South-Central): The Deputy knows there has been a continuous service to that company.

Will the Parliamentary Secretary deny that there was a request for disconnection?

(Dublin South-Central): If I were to reveal that information to the Deputy it would be of little help to him.

We will see.