asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he has received a request for the provision of an automanual telephone exchange at Castlerea, County Roscommon, and, if so, if this request will be acceded to.
8.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Castlerea (Roscommon) Telephone Exchange.
7.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will site an automanual telephone exchange in Castlerea, County Roscommon instead of an automatic exchange to counteract the withdrawal of a team of operators of about 15 people who may lose their jobs if an automatic exchange is installed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 8 together.
I have received a request for the provision of an automanual exchange at Castlerea, but I regret that I cannot accede to it. Under fully automatic conditions, with subscriber trunk dialling facilities, the assistance of operators will be needed for only a small percentage of calls, such as "personal" calls. In planning the network, very careful consideration was given to the number and location of automanual centres, of which there will be sixteen. The automanual centre serving Castlerea will be Athlone. When Castlerea exchange is converted to automatic working in a few years time the telephonists employed will be absorbed into other exchanges. Every effort will be made to provide alternative employment where it is needed for the small number of male night staff, but if it is not possible to do so, compensation will be payable under the Redundancy Payments Act, 1967, to those eligible.