asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if, in view of the disruption caused to telephone users by the industrial dispute in the Department, he will consider reducing telephone rentals to STD subscribers and waivering rentals to subscribers in manual exchange districts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

(Dublin South-Central): It is the normal practice of my Department to grant a rebate of rental where telephone service has been interrupted over a period. Rebates of telephone rental will be allowed to all subscribers connected to manual telephone exchanges in respect of the period their service was interrupted in the current industrial dispute. A general reduction in rental for subscribers having subscriber trunk dialling would not be warranted, but a rebate will be allowed to any such subscribers whose service was interrupted by a fault or faults.

Approximately what proportion of the total number of subscribers is in the areas where there are manual exchanges?

(Dublin South-Central): As 80 per cent of all subscribers are connected to automatic exchanges, that means 20 per cent are on manual exchanges.

Would the Minister of State not agree that automatic subscribers should be compensated in some way for the fact that they were precluded from telephoning 20 per cent of the country? They should get a reduction in their rental of at least 20 per cent.

(Dublin South-Central): I am sure the Deputy will appreciate the complications that exist in this area. Dublin city is totally automatic and probably 95 per cent of the business is through automatic exchanges.

These people might want to telephone the west or places where there are manual exchanges and are unable to do so. Yet they are being charged the same rent as if the manual exchanges were working. The rent should be reduced, across the board, by 20 per cent.