asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is now in a position to extend telephone facilities to Kilcock, Co. Kildare, in view of the fact that the guarantee he required will probably be available.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - KILCOCK TELEPHONE FACILITIES.
SEOIRSE DE BHULBH
As the Deputy has already been informed it would be necessary, in order to provide telephone call office facilities at Kilcock, to erect a pair of wires from Maynooth Telephone Exchange to that place. The estimated annual receipts from a call office would fall far short of the annual expenses involved in providing and maintaining the service; and it is not the practice of the Department to open call offices under guarantee in cases like this, where there is a wide disparity between the estimated revenue and expenses and there is little prospect of the call office becoming self-supporting.
Consideration has been given to the question of the establishment of a telephone exchange at Kilcock, but it is found that the amount of local support is not sufficient to enable the Department to offer exchange lines at the normal rental of £7 10s. a year. In order to make the project remunerative higher rentals would, therefore, be necessary from each of the eight prospective subscribers, but only three are willing to pay more than the normal rental. In the circumstances the proposal cannot be proceeded with.
Arising out of the Minister's answer, if the guarantors are prepared to change their minds will the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs reconsider the matter?
Yes.