When I raised this matter on the Adjournment at one stage the Minister was surprised that I should do so and he expressed the view that I was abusing the privileges of the House. He said that, from what he could learn, the people of Ballyfermot were not dissatisfied with the situation there in regard to Post Office facilities. However, in a recent issue of a magazine that is circulated among the community, one resident is reported as having said that when he saw a building being constructed in the area, by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs he was very pleased because he thought it was a new post office but, however, he was very disappointed to find that the building was to be used only as a sorting office for Ballyfermot. When I raised this matter on the Adjournment of the House the Minister told me also that he had checked within his Department but had found no records of requests from tenants' associations for these facilities. He said that the facilities in the post office there were overtaxed only on days on which children's allowances were paid but he said the same difficulties arise in many other post offices. The former Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, Deputy Lalor, said that he was aware of Ballyfermot and that he knew the area. However, he seems to have overlooked one point. He was suggesting what the people in Ballyfermot should do if they wanted to send a telegram. This is interesting. He suggested that they should call into the post office, count the words on the telegram, find out what it would cost, get the change, and go outside and put the money in the phone box. If that is an example of the facilities provided by the Post Office it is deplorable.
He also said something about having an investigation made into it and that he would check on it. He said there were means of checking on the number of telegrams sent from this coin box and that the indications were that not many telegrams were sent from Ballyfermot. I do not know how you could check on the number of telegrams sent from a coin box. The Minister said he had looked into it. He said that in coin box telephones in kiosks every telegram sent is recorded on a slip and that there was no problem for his officials in supplying him with that information. He said that the facilities were available to him but he did not say if any investigation was made into the number of telegrams sent. I should like to have that information.
He said that as far as he could as-certain there was no demand for this service but it is constantly being brought up by the community association. All the residents in the area want it. I live on the edge of this area. Were I attempting to send a telegram from a post office this is the one I would go to. These facilities are not available. What is wrong with Ballyfermot that we are left out? The Minister said that if a further investigation of the use being made of coin boxes for the purpose of sending telegrams showed a need for this facility, there was no problem about providing the service. I want to ask the Minister now has an investigation been made? If so, what was the result? If there is a need, will he meet it?
I should like to discuss the recent increase in postage rates. We were duped by the Department. A 50 per cent increase was granted without proper notification. We then had a further increase to the equivalent of 10d on Decimal Day. The Minister said that the postal services are losing money. At the moment the Minister is destroying the postal services. He is also making it more and more difficult for small businesses to survive. He is making it difficult for the normal person to use the postal services since a stamp for a letter costs 10d. This is the highest rate in Europe. Having regard to all other factors including the cost of living, we are way ahead of any other country in Europe. It is more expensive to send a letter from Dublin to Galway than it is to send a letter from London to Manchester. I do not see why there should be such an exorbitant charge for posting an ordinary letter. We are making it more and more difficult for people to use the postal services.
If this demand for higher and higher rates for the postal service continues it will be priced out of existence. I do not know why the Minister is attempting to do this. If a business firm keep raising their prices they will have to close down finally, and that is what will happen to this section of the Department, with disastrous results. At Christmas a determined effort was made by the public to resist these increases. This effort had its effect and there was a reduction in the number of Christmas cards sent. The Department were very slow to reveal the figures but it was obvious that there was a considerable drop at Christmas. The public should keep up this pressure throughout the year in an attempt to force the Minister to bring down prices to a realistic level. We are not getting the service we expect. If a letter costs the equivalent of 10d we should get a proper service. If the service needs to be streamlined this should be done immediately. After improving the service it should be possible to post an ordinary letter for approximately 7d or 8d. We now see the second-class postage rate being used for private and confidential letters. This is dangerous.
I would have thought that the Post Office must make money. The Department should consider ways and means of expanding the money order and the postal order services and other ancillary services. This would enable the Post Office to enter into competition with the banks. People who have money on deposit in the Post Office should be issued with books of money orders or postal orders for a certain amount so that they could use the Post Office as a cheque book service. In the States the private banks operate what is called a checking service. You put your money in the bank and you have a checking account, not a current account. If the ordinary person put his money into the Post Office and used it as a checking service, the Post Office could make a considerable amount of money. They could enter into competition with the banks, and they should. Instead of going to the banks for a draft people could go to the Post Office. They would be encouraged to put their money on deposit in the Post Office if this system was employed.
We were very slow in not availing of the bank Giro system for the Post Office. We should not have handed it over to the banks. In the case of a Government service a Government Department should deal with it. We should not have been put off by the fact that it was said in Britain that this system was no good. In other parts of Europe it has worked admirably and there is no reason why it should not work here. The Minister is a man of imagination and vision. He might consider introducing this system into the Post Office. If he did, one section could make up for the deficiencies of another. The postal order and money order services could be expanded tremendously and this could offset losses in the postal services. The Department of Posts and Telegraphs are encouraging more and more people to save through the Post Office. I have seen two of their one shilling machines, but I should like them to encourage more group savings schemes in factories. Would it not be much better for people to use the Post Office deposit section for paying off debts rather than handing the job to private individuals who take over the payments for householders in many parts of the city? This kind of thing would be of tremendous service to the community and would bring more and more revenue into the Department.
The Minister said that the Devlin Report in relation to his Department was being carefully studied. I should like to know the outcome of the study and what the Minister will decide to do.
Television reception in city areas like Ballyfermot and Drimnagh is very poor. I know this is not the fault of RTE but when people pay licence fees they are entitled to a service. When the voltage drops it should be the responsibility of RTE to see that it is corrected. Some people are without television from 6 p.m. and from what I understand it is due to excessive demands on the ESB supply.
RTE are maturing. We are getting well-balanced programmes. I should like to comment on a "Seven Days" programme which was broadcast last week. I think I can justifiably say that it was inaccurate and not properly re-searched. It portrayed life in Ballyfermot and it aroused the anger of the people there because this community, like any other working class community does not like a stigma attached to it. A stigma will be on the children of the people of Ballyfermot as a result of this programme. The programme portrayed the youth of Ballyfermot as a cider drinking community.
When I heard this programme was to be broadcast I rang up the authority and asked if they wanted any information on Ballyfermot. I live in Ballyfermot and I know it very well. They did not, however, contact me. I think they should have contacted the public representatives who work in the area. They put the programme on without consulting the people concerned and they have done a great deal of harm. If anyone from Ballyfermot applies for a job the chances of getting it, if he is in competition with people from other areas, is not good, because a stigma is attached to the youth of this area. It takes years to eradicate this kind of thing. Certain sections of this city like Cabra and Drumcondra have had a stigma for years. RTE have done untold harm to the people in this area and I do not think they have a right to do this. I have seen instances of cider drinking in various parts of the city but knowing the community of Ballyfermot as I do I would deplore this type of presentation, which has a very traumatic effect. People say to me now: "That is a right area you serve." I have no hesitation in indicating the personnel of "Seven Days" for this programme.
I listen to the radio from early each morning and I am much impressed with the standard of broadcasting. Radio Éireann involve many people, from many different parts of the country, in their programmes. Such programmes will encourage people to take an interest in community life and community development in their local areas. The Liam Nolan hour is the most popular radio programme today. This man has done some magnificent work. He has espoused many good causes. It is a pity that he is not being given an opportunity to do the same thing on television. People are asking why he is not being given an opportunity to do so and certainly I for one would like to know why he is not. A man with his talents should not be deprived of an opportunity of appearing on television. I hope the authority will take this into account.
The "Late Late Show" is a very controversial programme. It serves a very good purpose in Irish life today. It gives many sectors of the community an opportunity to voice their views. Some people say it is a mini-Dáil and in many ways it has done much more than this House in portraying various aspects of life and showing up injustices. When the farmers discussed their problems on television they rightly said that they were being given an opportunity on television to discuss agriculture which had not been given in this House. That point was very well taken.
I should not like to see any attempt made to curtail or subdue this programme even if it does at times speak out on issues which are not popular. What does it matter if people get annoyed? Different people get annoyed on the "Late, Late Show" each week. The programme serves a very useful purpose in that it interests the whole community in various aspects of life. Certainly I did not know of some of the problems affecting sections of the community until I watched the "Late, Late Show".
I understand that under the new Broadcasting Bill an attempt may be made to curtail this and other programmes which speak out very forcefully on issues. If we are to be deprived of programmes like the "Late, Late Show" freedom of thought will be abolished, and this is dangerous.
On the question of Irish I hold a view which may not be very popular. While I was at school all subjects were taught through the medium of Irish— even Latin, science and physics. There were not Irish translations for some of the scientific terms and in these cases our teachers had to coin the Irish words we used. Perhaps it was the compulsory approach that made me antagonistic towards Irish and I realise now that this is a pity. It will take a long time to overcome this inbuilt antagonism. Telefís Éireann must remember that many people share this feeling of antagonism and the approach they adopt to this matter must be gradual. They must not try to bombard us with programmes in Irish because in this way they may stiffen the antagonism that many people have.
Many people who can speak Irish find that they cannot follow the Irish news bulletin on television each evening at 7.55 p.m. I can speak Irish but I cannot follow the news. It may be that the announcer is speaking too rapidly and those of us who are not fluent in the language cannot understand what he is saying. The authority might consider this matter with a view to encouraging people to listen to the news bulletins in Irish.
I should like to see the "Buntús Cainte" programme continued. The programme was popular with those who did not know much Irish. In many cases the lack of knowledge of Irish on the part of parents meant that they developed an inferiority complex when they could not answer questions put to them by their children. Consideration might have been given to the presentation of a morning programme on the Irish language on Telefís Éireann. In this way parents could learn the language and be of help to their children. A morning programme giving some basic fundamental knowledge of Irish would serve a useful purpose and would go a long way towards restoring a love of the language.
As politicians, it is natural that we would wish to see more political programmes on television. Telefís Éireann may say that there is not a great demand but I have found even at medical meetings or other discussion groups that the main subject of conversation is politics. People may not like politicians but they are vitally interested in politics and we should have more political programmes on television. Programmes setting out what happens in the Dáil and giving details of the Bills and other matters that come before us would be of interest to many people and would be valuable to young people from an educational point of view. I am sure other Deputies will agree with me when I mention that young people who visit Leinster House are extremely interested in the proceedings of the Dáil. I have addressed meetings of schoolchildren and invariably they ask many questions about our Parliament. Telefís Éireann have an important role to play in providing educational programmes on this subject.
In the country the radio is still very popular and the programme "Today in the Dáil" is listened to by very many people. It may not be so popular in the city where television is the favourite medium. Having regard to this, more background work on a political programme for television might serve a useful purpose.
I am glad to see that advertising of cigarettes will cease as from 1st April. The advertisements still appear in the newspapers but the impact of television is much more considerable. I am afraid much damage was done when cigarette advertisements appeared on the screen. I consider we were justified in pleading with the Minister to have these advertisements banned. Television advertising has a powerful impact and we must be careful to ensure that proper standards are maintained. Originally a body was set up to ensure that a certain standard was maintained and that incorrect information was not given in advertisements.
The association between drink and leisure is not good. Advertising of alcoholic beverages does much harm in so far as drink is portrayed as the "in" thing. We are encouraging our young people to drink at a time when alcoholism is a major problem in the country. I do not think the taxpayers would object to making a greater contribution towards RTE if they knew that drink advertising would be phased out, as has happened in the case of cigarette advertising. None of us wants his children to grow up thinking that alcohol is a necessity. It is not right to encourage it. The law is lax in that no proper checks are made to ensure that people under age do not obtain drink in public houses. Is it any wonder they seek after it when they are told in advertisements on television that it is the right thing to do? Those under age follow the advice and the example given in television advertising. It is no use imposing regulations and making laws to prohibit certain age groups from obtaining alcoholic liquor when they are encouraged by television to do exactly this. What is the use of saying that smoking kills your taste for life when immediately afterwards cigarettes are advertised in association with athletic prowess? The Department of Health is not doing its duty when it does not demand a complete ban on this kind of advertising.
We have to face the fact that we must pay for television. It is no good the Minister saying television must be self-supporting. It is a very important medium of communication. The sooner we face the fact that the Exchequer must come to the help of television the better it will be. Money must be provided for proper programmes. Penny-pinching is quite wrong. The sooner we realise that, the better. Television must be allowed to expand. Talking in terms of cutting back is a very pusillanimous approach. If licences are not increased then money must be made available from the Exchequer to subsidise television. Recently it was stated certain programmes would be dropped and staff would become redundant. This is not the right approach. We must get our priorities right and make money available to Telefís Éireann. With the limited resources they have they have produced some magnificant programmes. Programmes on current affairs have been excellent. They operate on a shoestring compared with Britain and other countries. We all say we do not want canned stuff and that more home-produced programmes are essential but, unless we are prepared to provide the money for them, we will not get them. This is something we should bear in mind.
The Minister said colour television will not be available for some years. I am not very enthusastic about the idea of colour television. I suppose we must move with the times but we should wait and learn from the mistakes and the research in other countries before we launch out into colour television. I should like to see more involvement of the people in the country in television programmes. Such involvement is very important. Television should not be Dublin orientated. It is not good to have it too centralised. I should like to see the people in Mayo, in Donegal, in Cork and Kerry regularly involved in television programmes. Their opinions are important. They should certainly be involved more in current affairs programmes.
Advertising on television is dangerous. I believe it raises the cost of living and contributes to inflation. Competitors will spend more and more on advertising thereby increasing the cost of the products they produce. People are encouraged to buy luxuries. That can have a harmful effect on the economy generally. Perhaps it is the reason why our hire purchase debt is so high. We should remember this and have another look at advertising on television. Attractive advertising encourages people to go into debt. Hire purchase can be quite an evil and a menace to those who cannot afford it. At the moment I am trying to rescue a man who is being sent to prison for non-payment of a hire purchase debt. He was encouraged to invest in certain articles through television advertising. The articles were repossessed and now the father must go to prison for non-payment of a debt. The Minister for Justice will say that it is for contempt of court, but the fact remains that television advertising has contributed to this situation. That is not a good thing.
I wonder to what extent can the Minister interfere in television. How much pressure can Ministers apply to have their own speeches reported so fully?