asked the Minister for Health the steps he intends to take to ensure that the general public can contact ambulance services in the event of any future disruption in the telephone service.

During the recent dispute which affected the telephone system my Department kept in touch with hospital authorities and health boards regarding the effect of the dispute on their services. There were very few instances reported of difficulties in contacting ambulance services. A particular problem arose in relation to the Eastern Health Board ambulances stationed at James's Street for a short period due to accidental damage to telephone cables.

The general situation was kept under constant review by my Department with a view to taking appropriate action when the need arose and the same approach will be adopted should there be any further disruption of the telephone service.

Is the Minister not aware that this problem is twofold, that if there is any disruption of the telephone service between the ambulance service and the person who needs this service or between the local doctor and the ambulance service, it may be impossible to obtain this service? This was the case in many areas of the country when entire exchanges were out of order for months. Is the Minister not aware that many Members of the House have had examples of people having to travel seven and eight miles to a telephone before an ambulance could be obtained? Would he not consider the suggestion that in any future disruption of the telephone service use might be made of the radio links used by the Garda between their local Garda stations and their headquarters so that the ambulance service could be provided?

Naturally, all possible alternatives will be considered and availed of. I believe that the ESB have the best system available to us. Their service is probably better than the Garda service.

During the last dispute no effort was made through the public press or otherwise to notify the general public that such a service could be provided.

This is more in terms of providing facilities for the health boards than for the individual members of the public.

It was because individual members of the public experienced this type of difficulty that I was prompted to table this question and because of their difficulties in finding a telephone which worked in order to contact the ambulance services. Should not some steps be taken to make the public aware of how to contact emergency services when whole areas are without telephones for a long time?

I have already indicated what the position is.

In other words nothing will be done to help the individual.