asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will establish a proper information system whereby members of the general public can obtain speedy and accurate information on matters relating to the telephone service.

The need for an effective, speedy information system is fully recognised and numbers of measures designed to produce this have been and are being taken.

Outside Dublin it is possible now to get information promptly from the district sales offices on when most telephone applications will be met. In the Dublin area, it is expected that it will be possible to get information quickly too when a computerised system of recording the position in regard to applications for service is implemented shortly and when the programming of work for next year is completed.

In general, there is no difficulty in provincial districts in getting information in regard to when repairs will be carried out. In Dublin, the prime requirement is to reduce the time taken to repair faults, but as part of the programme for this, four new repair centres are to be provided. These will enable information to be provided more readily on the fault position. The first of these is being introduced at present and the others are expected to be in service in the course of the next year.

Information on telephone accounts can be obtained speedily from the GPO headquarters except perhaps at peak account times, quarterly, or where lines and associated apparatus have to be tested before inquiries can be replied to. It is proposed to decentralise much of the telephone billing inquiry work to provincial sales offices and a start is being made having account inquiries dealt with in Cork shortly. This should have a generally beneficial effect. Restoration of confidence in the billing system would result in a greatly reduced volume of inquiries and enable information to be supplied more promptly. I expect that action being taken will have this effect.

Is the Minister aware that people living in Dublin, and in particular in South Dublin, seeking information direct from the Department as to when telephones will be supplied or repairs carried out find it almost impossible to get any information whatsoever? Equally, it often happens that people seeking such information get contradictory reports from different people in his Department. Can the Minister say when in the Dublin area, and in particular in South Dublin, people applying for information will be able to apply direct to the Department and get speedy information, without the necessity of going through Members of this House. Could the Minister also clarify what the position will be with relation to seeking such information after Bord Telecom assume their responsibilities on 1 January next?

If the four new repair centres were in operation, it might lighten the amount of work coming on me with regard to queries. For the information of the Deputy, the four new centres are: Belcamp which deals with Dublin North East and was brought into operation on 10 October; Phibsborough to deal with Dublin North West; Terenure for Dublin South West; Stillorgan, Priory Park for Dublin South East. In these cases tenders for the equipment for these centres were received from the contractors at the end of October. In the not too distant future services will be available in these areas and the queries will not have to go through the channel referred to.

Would the Minister consider, in the short-term, allocating further staff to the query section of his Department? The staff there are doing trojan work and are practically martyrs. I have had experience of taking some of the telephone calls in that section and, naturally, the public who have problems with their telephones are quite disappointed and dissatisfied. The staff are doing great work in difficult circumstances. In the short-term, before these new improvements take place, would the Minister consider putting extra staff at the disposal of the public?

Not at the moment.

15.