Tuam and Ballinasloe telephone service
The Minister cited new exchanges for Tuam and Ballinasloe, extra trunk circuits and a temporary mobile exchange in Tuam, acknowledging the poor service and prioritising improvements. Donnellan continued to dispute whether the service had improved.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the steps being taken to improve the very poor telephone service in the Tuam 093 area and Ballinasloe 0905 area of County Galway.
Comment on this
the main requirements to improve the quality of service to existing subscribers is to provide new telephone exchanges at both centres. In addition, extra trunk circuits need to be provided between Tuam and Galway.
New exchanges are being provided in both towns and these should be in service next year. A new microwave link which will provide the necessary extra trunk circuits between Tuam and Galway is on order and is also expected to be ready for service later this year.
Pending these developments maintenance is being given the closest possible attention to ensure the best possible standard of service to subscribers from the existing equipment.
Comment on this
The Minister must be aware, as a subscriber in the 093 area, that the telephone service in that area is possibly the worst in the country—perhaps Donegal is worse. Is the Minister aware that in the Ballinasloe 0905 area the service is as bad as it is in the Tuam area? I accept that it may be a case of "live horse and you will get grass" and if we wait long enough possibly we will get a good telephone service. The Minister in his reply says that all steps are being taken to provide the best possible service. If the service available at the moment is the best possible from the Department, it is a terrible service. What is the Minister doing about it?
Comment on this
I have answered all those questions. I may add that in the interim period we have installed a new 1,000 line mobile exchange in Tuam to help alleviate this problem. I agree with Deputy Donnellan that heretofore it was possibly the worst telephone service in the country. It has been rated as number one priority in the Department and I am implementing a policy to eliminate complaints.
