asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the appalling state of the telephone service in the Ballivor area of County Meath and the action he proposes to take in view of the serious losses to business firms and private users in the area.

18.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the appalling phone service in the Longwood area of County Meath and the action he proposes to take in view of the serious losses to business firms and private users in the area.

19.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that only three of the telephone lines servicing Summerhill, County Meath, have been in operation for some time, if he will ensure that all seven lines are operating and, if not, if he will arrange to have a temporary service supplied to this area from another exchange until the proposed automatic system is in operation.

(Dublin South-Central): I propose with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle to take Questions Nos. 17, 18 and 19 together.

There are, I regret, heavy delays to calls at Ballivor, Longwood and Summerhill. All three exchanges are affected by a shortage of trunk circuits to Dublin and there have been problems recently with the maintenance of the existing circuits to Dublin in some instances. Additional circuits to Longwood were provided recently but more are needed at all three exchanges. These, regrettably, cannot be supplied until additional equipment is installed at Dublin about the middle of next year. Special maintenance attention will be given to the exchanges and to the circuits serving the three centres with a view to ensuring the best possible service to subscribers. Every effort will be made to improve the service otherwise also.

Is the Minister aware that in the Summerhill area there are seven lines and not one in three have been in operation at any one time? The Minister will agree that there is no reason for allowing this. Is he aware that in these three areas there is quite substantial industrial employment which is being jeopardised because services are not operating properly? Promising something for next year is like saying, "Live horse and you will get grass". There is no evidence that the service will be improved within the next 12 months and I fear that many people will be out of work because of the inactivity of the Department.

(Dublin South-Central): My information up to last Friday was that all circuits to Dublin in the Summerhill area were working. There are seven such circuits in that area at present and an additional four, making a total of 11, are expected to be in service at the end of next week. In Ballivor all circuits to Dublin are working.

I am glad to hear that the Summerhill services are working. I assure the Minister that three weeks ago they were not working and that had been the position for some time. I suggested that a parliamentary question might be more effective than anything else in getting something done.

(Dublin South-Central): Services are being improved generally all over the country.

Is the Minister aware that services are not being improved generally all over the country and have deteriorated very badly in the area to which I have referred? Quite a number of people are awaiting service who cannot possibly get it because existing subscribers are not getting the service for which they are paying.

This is argument.

(Dublin South-Central): Summerhill and the other places mentioned are doing quite well.

They might be doing well now but that was not the case a couple of weeks ago. A parliamentary question has always been very effective.

20.