asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether he will reintroduce the call-back system in the manual trunk service.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Call-Back System.
120.
The call-back procedure referred to was modified at Dublin and certain other auto-manual exchanges in order to relieve operating difficulties which were adversely affecting the service generally. The normal procedure is still followed at all exchanges in relation to certain kinds of calls. While congestion continues in the automatic system I am afraid it will not be possible to revert to the former arrangements as requested.
This is a matter that would require and deserve review at this juncture because it seems fairly obvious that the time wasted by the present mode of operation is greater than any waste of time or of personnel that obtained before the call-back system was abolished.
There are certain calls where the call-back system still operates but it was not found to be feasible to continue the system. It is indicated to the Minister that after a recent examination it is still not feasible to revert to the old system.
While I appreciate that that may be the Parliamentary Secretary's advice, may I ask would it be possible for the Parliamentary Secretary or the Minister to indicate in what way the old call-back system was inferior so far as the utilisation of personnel was concerned to the present system which seems neither to accommodate callers nor to relieve pressure on the personnel in the manual exchanges? They are being utilised several times for the one call, whereas under the old system they would be involved only once.
In 1968 this arrangement was discontinued in the Dublin exchange because it was found to be interfering seriously with the overall quality of the service being provided.
At what level are we trying to get comparisons? The service is brutally bad, to put it very crudely, so bad that having regard to the time taken to get a trunk call from this city to my constituency or county, if it were an urgent call, it would be easier to drive to Donegal from Dublin than to place the call. That cannot be regarded as a service. We are paying for a teleohone service but we are not getting it.
I am aware of the difficulties described by the Deputy but I am informed that to do as he suggests would only increase the difiiculties.
Perhaps the Parliamentary Secretary would pass on not only my views but his views also?
I will.