asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will now consider the question of having the public telephone at Lobinstown Post Office, County Meath, put in a kiosk outside the office.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Lobinstown (Meath) Public Telephone.
1.
A kiosk at Lobinstown is not warranted.
I did not ask the Minister if it was warranted. I asked him if he would now consider having the public telephone in Lobinstown Post Office, County Meath, put in a kiosk outside the office. The post office closes at normal post office hours and, if the telephone is to be situated outside the post office, then it will be necessary to have a kiosk. I am not asking for an additional telephone. This area is now part of the Minister's constituency and I am sure he will soon be aware of the position there. There is no telephone anywhere near it. There was one in a public house close to it but it was closed down. It is causing grave annoyance, even to the people in the post office with a young family to be knocked up late at night when the telephone is needed. Would the Minister have another look at this to see if it would be possible to have a kiosk put outside the post office there?
The use made of that office telephone is actually decreasing. I could not say why. Maybe it is that when people go shopping they go to other areas to make their telephone calls. It does not seem possible at the moment that there is justification for a kiosk. I shall look into the matter again. In a district such as that, there is an opportunity for somebody to have a coin box installed. If that were done in a shop, it might satisfy the situation.
It is a very small place and there are no shops there which remain open late at night. In fact, there is neither doctor nor priest living within miles of the place concerned. Would the Minister not agree that, if it can reasonably be done, the telephone should be erected in a kiosk outside the existing post office?
I was rather worried that there was no kiosk put outside the post office. It seemed to me a borderline case. I shall look into the matter again.
Is the Minister aware that the agitation for this kiosk has been going on for years and years? Indeed, the Minister must be aware of it. Deputy Tully had questions down about it before and so had I. If the Minister now says that the turnover in the local post office is deteriorating, the reason is that no telephone service is available in the area. I would advice the Minister, as these people will now be his constituents, that he had better do something about it before the next election.