asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will consider erecting a public telephone kiosk at Treacy's Cross Roads, Cussaun, Athenry, County Galway.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Service.
54.
Provision of kiosks in areas such as Treacy's Cross Roads where there is no post office is not envisaged under the extended kiosk programme for rural areas.
55.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if a public telephone kiosk will be provided outside Lobinstown post office, County Meath.
The call office telephone at Lobinstown post office is little used and the provision of a street kiosk there is not contemplated at present.
56.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the action, if any, taken to improve the telephone service in North Galway and particularly in Tuam town since the matter was last raised by way of Parliamentary Question.
I advised the Deputy in reply to a question on 8th March last that arrangements had been made to replace an aerial cable between Galway and a point some four miles from Tuam and to renew an underground section of cable from that point to Tuam and that it was likely that this work would take about six months to complete. It is now expected that the work will be completed and additional circuits brought into service between Galway and Tuam by the end of July. Some additional circuits have recently been provided between Galway and Dublin and more will be brought into service over the next few weeks. These developments will improve considerably the telephone service in the area and also the subscriber trunk dialled service to Dublin from Tuam and from the Galway area generally.
57.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the unsatisfactory telephone service obtaining in Kanturk and surrounding district, County Cork; if, as a first step towards improving the service, he will immediately make provision for a further switch-board in the Mallow office; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I am not aware that the telephone service in Kanturk and the surrounding district is very unsatisfactory.
Work has been in progress since March last on installing equipment to increase the circuit capacity of the cable between Kanturk and Mallow. This work which was completed a few weeks ago caused some interference with the telephone service on the route. Two additional circuits between Kanturk and Mallow have already been brought into service and a further four circuits are being provided next month.
The number of switchboards at Mallow is adequate to meet current traffic requirements.
Having listened to the Minister's reply, I am convinced that communications between him and that part of the country are bad because if the Minister had to wait 15 or 20 minutes to get through to Mallow, he would agree that this is so. I have discussed this matter with telephone operators and with the supervisor at Mallow and they tell me that the only solution is the provision of another switchboard at Mallow; otherwise the position will worsen day by day. A couple of weeks ago the Minister told me that an automatic dialling service would not be introduced into that area for three or four years. That was a vague answer. I suggest that the Minister should make further inquiries and try to solve the problem by providing an improved service.
I am assured by the technical experts in my Department that the nine switchboards at Mallow are adequate for current traffic.