asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that there has been a widespread breakdown of the telephone system throughout the country with consequent dislocation of business; and if he has any explanation to offer for this.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Service.
24.
I cannot agree that there has been any breakdown of the telephone system. In fact, considerably higher numbers of calls are being satisfactorily connected in 1963 than in 1962 or in any previous year.
Is the Minister aware that at certain times of the day it is impossible to get through even from this House to the General Post Office?
I am aware. I fully admit, and have admitted on several occasions, that there can be congestion at certain times on certain localised portions of the telephone system.
Will the Minister not admit that in recent weeks there has been a deterioration in the telephone service throughout the whole country?
In recent weeks, there have been considerably more calls dealt with successfully than at any previous time. At the same time, there has, of course, been congestion on certain routes and in certain areas. I fully and freely admit that and I am taking every step open to me to deal with the situation.
Surely the Minister must be impressed by the number of complaints he has received recently, especially by way of Parliamentary Question.
It may be news to the Deputy to know that I have also received several letters complimenting me on the service provided. It is, of course, an easy and a simple matter for Deputies to highlight local deficiencies or focus public attention on local deficiencies and faults. The telephone service is a universal one. It is a highly technical service and it is another matter to assess the general defects of the service and the requirements necessary to eliminate those defects. It may be of interest to the House to know that the equipment now being used to increase the circuits was ordered in 1960, and since 1960, we have been finding it increasingly difficult to get deliveries of the orders placed with the manufacturers.
Is all the blame due to the dismissal of an engineer in 1956?
I do not think it is fair that we should blame the Minister for what is going wrong, but I think the Minister should admit something is wrong.
He has admitted it.
What has happened over the past two months is not due to a huge boom in trade. Things have reached such a pass in one area that, if a phone is picked up, one can hear two conversations going on; surely there must be something wrong when that happens.
I cannot deal by way of question and answer here with specific instances raised without notice. All I can do is to direct policy and provide the necessary capital. With regard to the latter, the Oireachtas has not over the years provided sufficient capital to enable the Engineering Branch of the Post Office to deal adequately with the demands that are being made on the service.
That is not true.
It was possible during the slack period from six o'clock or six-thirty onwards to get any part of the country within minutes. Now there is up to an hour's delay. That has only happened in the past month or two. There must be a reason for it.
These delays occur on certain circuits only. In the area in which the Deputy lives, there are difficulties in relation to trunk facilities— that is, Carlow, Arklow, Wexford, Enniscorthy. They will be resolved in a short time, some in a couple of weeks, as a result of the schemes in operation there.
But up to a month ago there was no delay.
I would ask you, Sir, to bear with me. I have been on my feet the whole time trying to ask the Minister if he is aware that during what is called the slack period, it is impossible to get a connection from Dáil Éireann to the General Post Office?
I will have that inquired into. If difficulty exists as between this House and the exchange, I will have that inquired into for the Deputy.
Fair enough. Would the Minister also inquire, and satisfy me and himself, whether the exchange is fully staffed? My information is that it is not in the evening and at night time.
I was in the exchange the other day and I discussed this matter. I understand it is not primarily a question of staffing at all; it is a question of outlets from the exchange. Every effort is being made to provide the necessary outlets to enable the staff to deal adequately with the situation.
If that is the case then, they should answer.
Did the Minister visit the exchange at night between 8 o'clock and 10?