asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will make a statement giving the reasons why two people (names supplied) were unable to get through by telephone from Ballyduff kiosk, County Waterford to either Fermoy or Lismore on 19th October 1966, even though they tried continually from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Waterford Telephone Call Delay.
110.
I regret that two members of the Garda Síochána who attempted to make telephone calls from the Ballyduff kiosk, in connection with the death of a man in the locality, were irregularly refused connection by an operator on the grounds that they had not money to put in the coin box.
There are standing instructions that emergency calls are to be allowed free of charge. These instructions were violated by the operator and his failure to comply with them is being pursued.
How is the operator to know that the person at the other end is making a genuine emergency call?
It is not easy.
I hope that will be borne in mind in the course of the inquiry.
Yes. There are ways and means of identification in the case of a local call.