asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will provide a telex service at all sub-post office situated in towns with a population in excess of 500 people.

It is assumed that what the Deputy has in mind is the provision of public telex call office facilities.

Public telex call office facilities are provided at present only at tele-communications headquarters in Dublin. It is planned to provide them at the seven district sales offices outside Dublin over the next year or so. The demand for these facilities is limited and it is expected that the use made of them will not be such as to justify their provision at other centres. However, the matter will be kept under review in the light of experience of their use at the new centres where it is proposed to provide them.

Is the Minister aware that throughout rural Ireland people have been waiting for a telex service for many years and does he not think it would be in the best interests of industrial development to have a telex service in all sub-post offices?

I am well aware of the inadequacies of the telephone and telex services in rural areas. I come from an area which the deputy's administration neglected totally. The problem is not of my making. The Deputy's Government refused to undertake the provision of a proper telecommunications infrastructure — they did not recognise the need for it. It is expected that the service will be provided next year.

Is the Minister aware that a company known as Telectron devised a telex which can be operated from the manual telephone exchanges? If so, would he notify the allegedly forlorn people of Donegal that they can have a telex system in the same way as the illustrious people of Dublin who can have everything, as the Minister insinuates, while the people of Donegal have nothing? Can he tell us the total amount of money spent by the previous Government in Donegal over the years 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980? He will never compare with that in his time in office — £18½ million in 1980.

I wonder——

The Minister did not answer my question.

The Deputy answered it himself.

In view of the information given to the Minister of State by Deputy Killilea, who is the authority on telex and telephone systems having regard to the work he did in the 18 months he was in the Department, would the Minister not agree that this would be a very good service if it were provided from local sub-post offices?

I could not agree more. In all probability we will have the service in operation in about a year's time. If what Deputy Killilea says is a fact, why did not he put it into the provinces?

We did. We were doing it until we left office.

Ceist 50.

The Minister does not understand the Department and his fatal error is that he pretends he does.

Arising out of Question No. 49——

We have gone on to Question No. 50.

50.