asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of advance payments his Department is currently holding for telephone installations; and the total amount involved.
11.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Installation Payments.
10.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will indicate the three longest outstanding advance payments for telephone installations held by his Department on the 1st June, 1974.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Question Nos. 10 and 11 together.
Advance payments amounting approximately to £225,000 are held in respect of some 4,500 telephone installations which are either in course of provision or have not yet been provided. These are fairly normal turnover figures. In all but a fraction of these cases service will be given progressively over the next three months.
The three longest outstanding advance payments which can be traced are for amounts of £73, £47 and £45 collected in May 1970, May 1971 and July 1972, respectively.
Would the Minister consider returning the money to those people and others who have not received their telephone installations within what might be termed a reasonable period?
I will return the money if the applicants ask for it. They have not asked.
In other words, if any applicants for telephone installations have applied quite some time ago and still have not got their telephones installed, the Minister will return their money to them, without endangering their chances of getting a telephone when the lines become available? Can that be clearly understood?
I am prepared to have the money returned if there has been an abnormally prolonged delay and if the applicants request it. These three cases which I have mentioned are buildings which are unfinished and for which the applicants have not requested the installation of a telephone or the return of the money.
Would the Minister consider allowing those people the interest on their money over that period?
No, Sir.
Would the Minister reply to the last part of Deputy Briscoe's supplementary where he sought an assurance that people who sought a return of their money would not lose their place in the queue?
I will give consideration to that.
It is serious.
Question No. 12.
Would the Minister——
I have given the Deputy a lot of latitude.
The Ceann Comhairle has been most generous but I feel that the Minister's reply to the supplementary by Deputy Colley was not a very fair reply. I think that needs more than consideration.
The Deputy may not engage in argument.