asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of applications received for telephones in each year from 1973 to date.

(Dublin South-Central): The numbers are 41,000, 39,000, 37,000, 36,000, 44,000, 58,000 and 33,000 respectively.

How many of these applicants have succeeded in obtaining installations?

That is a separate question but the Minister may answer it if he has the relevant information.

(Dublin South-Central): I gather the Deputy wants a list giving the number of connections and I do not have that information.

Has the Minister the information in respect of any of these years? If not, perhaps he would send it to me.

(Dublin South-Central): I will arrange to have the information sent to the Deputy.

The last figure mentioned was 33,000. To which year does this apply?

(Dublin South-Central): The question refers to the number of applications received to date. The last number is in respect of those received to date.

Are the bulk of the applications from Dublin?

(Dublin South-Central): More than 50 per cent are from the Dublin area.

Is there any special plan for the Dublin region?

(Dublin South-Central): Yes, there is a special plan with regard to cabling and so on.

Is the Minister clear on what each year means? Does it mean from 1 January to 31 December?

(Dublin South-Central): It does. In respect of 1979, by the end of September the number was 33,000.

In his replies the Minister indicated there was a boom in telephone applications due to some economic improvements allegedly brought about by the Government. If the figure of 33,000 is in respect of ten months, that is an indication of a downturn if the Minister uses the argument he applied earlier.

(Dublin South-Central): Our projections at the start of the year were for about 55,000 connections but, due to problems of which the Deputy is fully aware which occurred in the past 18 months, we did not achieve the figure. However, we have projections in respect of this matter and we will achieve them.

The Minister did not make any such qualification earlier. Is he suggesting that in the two months remaining in this year there will be something in the order of 26,000 or 28,000 applications?

(Dublin South-Central): I am not saying we are going to achieve our projections. I am saying that that was our projection at the start of the year.

If the Government are not going to achieve that figure, what is the point of talking about it?

Have the Government a special plan in relation to installations in the Dublin area?

(Dublin South-Central): We are going to push ahead. We are recruiting many technicians and joiners in the Department at this time.

24.