asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when his Department will be in a position to erect the new telephone kiosk at Tallaght, County Dublin; and its exact location.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Kiosks.
70.
It is expected that the new telephone kiosk at Tallaght will be erected towards the end of the current financial year. The exact location of the kiosk has not yet been decided.
Is the Minister aware that the new town of Tallaght is expanding at a tremendous rate and, instead of providing one telephone kiosk for the town of Tallaght, he should, in fact, erect three there? There is need for a second one, at least, since this application was made. Would the Minister consider erecting more than one by the end of the financial year?
If my Department is convinced of the need for another telephone kiosk in Tallaght, Tallaght will have another telephone kiosk.
71.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when it is proposed to erect a public telephone kiosk at Union Hall, Skibbereen, County Cork.
It is expected that a telephone kiosk will be provided at Union Hall in about two to three years time under the programme for extension of kiosk facilities in rural areas.
In two or three years time? Surely a seaside village, like Union Hall, is entitled to a public telephone this year, not to mind two or three years time. Surely the request is quite reasonable. Having regard to population and location, Union Hall is entitled to a public telephone. Villages similarly placed have a telephone.
The Deputy will have to be satisfied with my answer. There will be a telephone kiosk provided there in the next two or three years. That is the best we can do in the circumstances.
But why not provide a public telephone kiosk in a seaside village like Union Hall, which is trying to develop as a tourist resort? Surely there is every justitfication for a telephone kiosk. It is not as if it is looking for something to which it is not entitled. Under the regulations Union Hall is entitled to a public phone box this year. It is no gracious act on the part of the Minister to grant it. The people are looking only for that to which they are entitled.
I am sure every Deputy in the House has a number of Union Halls also requiring preference.
Most villages like Union Hall have that facility. I have been up and down the country and I have not gone through any village that has not got a public phone box and some of them are not as popular as Union Hall.
In reply to Deputy Murphy, because of the strong case he is making, I will certainly see if we can speed things up.
That is the job. Let the Minister do that and I will talk to him next week. We will have that telephone kiosk in Union Hall and I will take the Minister down to open it.
The Minister must be aware that Deputy Murphy cannot take him into Union Hall until the bridge going into it is built.
I understand that, but I also understand the bridge will be back in use later this year.
Let the Minister have a look at it now and we will get the bridge fixed up this month.