asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will provide a telephone kiosk at Kildalkey, County Meath.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Service.
146.
The call office telephone in Kildalkey post office is little used and the provision of a street kiosk there is not contemplated at present.
Is the Minister aware that this is a village of reasonable size, that it should have a kiosk and that this method of using solely the number of calls from the call office is an inadequate measure of the demand for a kiosk in Kildalkey?
I have never been to Kildalkey but I understand it is a very small village with a post office, a church, a parochial hall, three licensed premises, a supermarket, grocery shop and about six private house, with a total population of about 80 people. I understand as well that the call office telephone has on average about two calls per day.
Would the Minister not consider that this would be a very good chance of experimenting with a new type kiosk by erecting a concrete one and putting the phone outside? The post office is closed at five in the evening and closed all over the weekend and therefore there is very little chance of people using the phone after working hours.
I would consider the Deputy's suggestion if I had the money to do it.
A concrete one would not cost very much.
147.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will arrange for the provision of a telephone kiosk at Forgney, County Longford.
Provision of kiosks in areas such as Forgney where there is no post office is not envisaged under the extended kiosk programme for rural areas.
148.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether, in view of the unsatisfactory position regarding telephone kiosks in Dublin, he will be prepared to offer special rental terms to phone subscribers prepared to facilitate the public in this matter.
About 8,000 subscribers in the Dublin 01 area already rent coinbox telephones, the vast majority of which are made available to members of the public during the day hours. The rental and other terms for such telephones are very favourable in relation to the capital cost involved and I do not consider that the circumstances warrant a reduction. However, I would be prepared to consider special terms in certain circumstances where an existing or proposed kiosk could be substituted satisfactorily by a rented coinbox telephone offering the same kind of facilities as a kiosk.
149.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the inadequacy of the Clonmel telephone exchange, County Tipperary; and when it is hoped to install the automatic system.
I am aware that the telephone service at Clonmel is unsatisfactory at times. The difficulties at present are due to a shortage of switchboards which is resulting in delay to calls during the busy period of the day. Additional switchboards will be installed in the new exchange building at Clonmel and will be brought into service by the end of June next. When these are in service there will be a substantial improvement in the service at Clonmel. The existing number of trunk circuits serving Clonmel is adequate at present. Long term requirements will be met by a co-axial cable between Clonmel and Waterford which is on order and expected to be completed in the first half of next year.
Equipment for the automatic exchange at Clonmel is on order and Clonmel exchange will, it is expected, be converted to automatic working towards the end of 1973 or early in 1974.
150.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the deteriorating telephone service, especially trunk line service, out of Waterford city; and what steps he is taking to improve the service.
The trunk circuits and switching equipment provided at Waterford are adequate for the volume of subscriber dialled trunk traffic from the Waterford area. During the busy periods of the day, particularly on Mondays and Fridays, difficulty may be experienced in dialling calls to certain numbers in Dublin. The position in this respect will improve over the next two months according as the additional facilities required at Dublin are provided.
151.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when it is proposed to provide a telephone for a business firm in County Cork (name supplied) who are waiting over two years for it.
Service will, it is expected, be provided in about four months when an underground cabling scheme in the area has been completed.
Would the Minister reconsider this again? This is a firm of three brothers who are trying to get a business off the ground? I am sure the Minister will appreciate that it is impossible to do so without the service of a telephone. Would the Minister try to cut that four months to two months?
I will do my best to facilitate this applicant. I understand they are small contractors with three or four employees and I know it is difficult without a telephone. If it can be done I will see that it is done.
152.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that Cork County Council have consented to act as guarantors for a telephone kiosk at Lismire, Newmarket, County Cork; and if he will take the necessary steps to have it erected.
In response to a recent query from Cork County Council they were notified of the conditions governing provision of a kiosk at Lismire under guarantee by the council. If these conditions are acceptable, arrangements will be made to provide the kiosk as quickly as possible after the necessary formalities have been completed.
153.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will arrange to have a public telephone erected on College Road, Cork between the University and Gilabbey Street.
The area in question is regarded as adequately served by existing kiosks at Glasheen Road, Phairs Cross and Western Road. The provision of additional public telephone facilities in the area is not considered warranted at present.
154.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if, in view of the fact that the formal agreement relating to the proposed telephone kiosk at Roscomroe, Roscrea, County Offaly, has been approved by Offaly County Council and sent to his Department for completion, he will make a statement on the matter as there is an urgent need for this service.
A site for the proposed guaranteed kiosk at Roscomroe, County Offaly, has been selected and agreed with the Offaly County Council and the necessary wayleave consent for a new pole route to provide service to the kiosk has been obtained. It is expected that the kiosk will be erected and brought into service within the next two months or so.