asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of telephones in the Dublin district reported to be out of order in the months of January and June in each of the last three years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Telephone Service.
14.
Mr. Ryan
The daily average numbers of telephones reported and actually found faulty was as follows:—
|
January, 1960 |
302 |
|
June, 1960 |
273 |
|
January, 1961 |
293 |
|
June, 1961 |
253 |
|
January, 1962 |
308 |
|
June, 1962 |
253 |
The figures include faults on extensions, bells, switches and other subsidiary apparatus and minor defects which would not necessarily put the telephone lines out of operation.
15.
Mr. Ryan
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the reason for the increasing frequency with which telephone callers in the Dublin area experience difficulty in making calls, thereby necessitating the intervention of the supervisors or the engineers; and what steps will be taken to remedy the matter.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to difficulty experienced in obtaining trunk and local calls by direct dialling. It is the case that this difficulty has increased in recent weeks. There has been exceptional traffic pressure and this has increased the incidence of "number engaged" and at times resulted in some congestion of the automatic system. Pending installation of additional equipment, which was planned to meet normal growth, every effort will be made to reduce inconvenience to callers.
Is the Minister aware that it is impossible to make a call from the dial boxes here or to get in touch with the GPO to get a number down the country?
I think it would be an exaggeration to say it is impossible.
For the Minister's information, I wish to tell him that I was threequarters of an hour wait ing——
That is not a question.
Will the Deputy put a question?
Is the Minister aware that I was waiting so long to get a call the other night and also that the efficient and courteous staff of this House surrounded me to give me aid and comfort? Is the Minister further aware that I had to go to the post office here and ask the people there to phone the General Post Office to ask the GPO to ring up the telephone box here? We were nearly at the point that we were going to send a runner down to the GPO.
Did you try smoke signals?
Would the Minister say what he would consider a normal average in getting the correct number when one dials? Should one get it once out of twice, out of three times, or more than that?
It all depends on the amount of traffic on the telephone system at the time the dial call is made. When there is excessive traffic on the automatic system now available to us, some of the extra calls come on the manual switchboard——
I did not explain myself properly. Would the Minister say what would be a reasonable proportion of correct numbers to get as against incorrect numbers?
I have not that information here. The Deputy would need to put down a question.
Would the Minister consider it reasonable that an inspector of his Department, having made 25 test calls from a number, got eight of the test calls correct and 17 wrong? Does he think that a good average?
I should have to get the report from the inspector concerned. If Deputy Sweetman will give me the name of the inspector, I shall——
I do not know his name. I know the number from which the calls were made.
The real reason for the delay is——
Deputy Sweetman should not make insinuations that are not correct.
The Deputy does not do so. The Minister believes everything he is told in his Department.
The real reason for the delay is that they are understaffed down there in the GPO.
That is not so.
Then why do they not reply?
They made a mess of the thing.
There is a backlog of essential trunk and installation work that was left undone.
Why did you not finish it?
They are understaffed at the switchboard in the GPO.