asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when it is proposed that the digital exchange in Galway city will come into operation; and if there is any change in the forecast given under the development programme announced by his predecessor.

Work on the installation of the exchange is proceeding and the exchange is expected to be ready for service in about six months.

It had been tentatively scheduled to have the exchange in service by the end of this year but the building work took somewhat longer than expected and the exchange installation work will also take longer than had been envisaged.

The Minister has said that the installation work will take longer than had been envisaged. Is it because of the proposed cutback in the allocation of capital money for next year for the installation work on the exchanges, where some of the people doing the installation work were told their contracts will be cut by 40 per cent?

That is not the reason, much as the Deputy would like it to be. It is just the physical difficulty of having the work done.

I cannot accept that. It is not a five-year programme any more. It is a five-and-a-half-year programme but by the time the Minister is finished it will be a ten-year programme.

I can assure the Deputy that whether it is a five or a five-and-a-half-year programme he will not be there to conclude it.

9.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when it is expected that Gort Exchange, County Galway, will become fully automatic; and if it will be prior to Christmas.

While it is still the intention to provide automatic service at Gort before Christmas if possible, it now appears likely that it will be 1982 before the new exchange will be operational.

Is it a fact that the delay of another three or four months or even longer is due to instructions from his office to staff on the ground that in future they should be back in their depots by 5 p.m.? This means they are only working until 3.45 p.m. each day, that their working day has been cut by one and a quarter hours in order to save a few pounds. Will this delay affect every part of the telecommunications project?

I am sorry to disillusion the Deputy but the position is that local telephone cables have been of a higher quality for automatic than for manual operation. The local cables have been tested and have proved to be satisfactory. However, large sections of the cable previously under consideration have to be replaced.

May I be permitted to make an observation?

The Deputy may only ask a question.

The present Minister of State is more like what one would see outside a church gate——

The Deputy may not proceed. This is Question Time. I am calling Question No. 10. I am asking Deputies to co-operate in trying to get through some questions today.

We have to question the Minister.

I have been very indulgent with the Deputy. I want his co-operation in getting through the questions.

The Chair has been over-indulgent.

I have found out from the Minister's replies that the Department of Posts and Telegraphs are operating a cutback policy that will affect Gort, Galway and other exchanges. The Minister of State and his senior Minister will not make the money available to continue the programme.

I reiterate that the projected scheme was that all the cables would be satisfactory. It is now found that some of the cables are not satisfactory——

Rubbish.

I am calling Question No. 10.