asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the total cost of repairs to telephone kiosks in Dublin city and county in 1981-82.

: The records of the Department are kept on a calendar year basis and are on a district and not a county basis. The cost of maintenance of telephone kiosks in 1981 in the Dublin engineering district, which includes parts of Meath, Kildare and Wicklow as well as Dublin, was £400,000 approximately. The final figure for 1982 is not yet available but is expected to be something of the same order as for 1981.

: Can the Minister say if it is the policy of the Department to continue to repair telephone kiosks? There are quite a number of them out of order in some areas and one cannot help feeling that it must no longer be the practice of the Department to repair them.

: It is the practice of the Department to repair them as soon as they can get round to doing so. But it would be fair to say that they are being put out of commission so fast it is becoming a big task for the Department to keep them repaired.

: Can the Minister give the House an indication of the total number of telephone kiosks involved, if possible?

: There are approximately 930 public telephones in the Dublin engineering district — and I have already outlined for the House the size of the district. The majority of these are street kiosks and others are situated in post offices, shopping centres, railway stations and at Dublin Airport.

34.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the dates of completion of automatic exchanges at Finea and Lough Gowna, County Cavan; and when an automatic service will be available.

: It is expected that the exchange buildings at Finea and Loch Gowna will be completed by the end of May and that conversion of both exchanges will take place about the end of this year.

: Would the Minister care to comment on the length of time between the completion of the exchanges and the commencement of automatic service? I am anxious to invite him down there when it is ready.

: They will be completed about the end of May. The conversion of both exchanges will take place about the end of the year. Does the Deputy want me to be more specific than that?

: What I want to know is why, in two small exchanges, it should take seven months between their completion and the installation of equipment?

: It is no slower than ever it was, if that answers the Deputy.

: Why should it take seven months to instal the equipment?

: I would hope to change that practice while I am in this Department, that certainly there would be some change——

: Would the Minister not agree that technology is one aspect in respect of which rapid strides have been made? Or does he know, or can he indicate——

: Order. I am calling Question No. 35.

35.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when a telephone service will be provided for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 4.

: Service has been provided.

36.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that a person (details supplied) in County Galway cannot register with Bord Fáilte pending the provision of a telephone service; and if he will expedite the provisions of service in this case.

: Telephone service will be provided for the person named as soon as possible but it is unlikely that the necessary engineering work can be completed before the latter part of this year.

I am advised that registration with Bord Fáilte is not held up pending provision of telephone service.

: Would the Minister accept that it would be difficult for this person to operate this type of business successfully without the use of a telephone service? In view of the fact that it would be a business telephone, would he give it a higher priority than it is being given at present?

: I will give the Deputy a guarantee that I will look at it with a view to having a service provided as soon as possible.