asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if an instruction has been issued to telephone engineering staff in any part of the country that requests for minor telephone apparatus, e.g. plugs and sockets, should not be met for the time being; and, if so, the reasons for the issue of such instruction.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers (Resumed). - Telephone Equipment.
51.
Many of the Department's fitting staff are employed on adjustment of over 20,000 coinboxes to take decimal coins and in provincial areas where the number of fitters available in any one district is relatively small, it was necessary to suspend the provision of some items of equipment, including plugs and sockets, which involve fitting work.
Are many coinboxes being changed at this time? Is it true that there is a shortage of the necessary equipment and that, therefore, staff might be available to do other work?
The staff are employed fully at present on the operation of changing the coinboxes.