asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will arrange for the erection of a public telephone kiosk at Omey Island, Claddaghduff, County Galway.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Service.
11.
My Department is not at present providing kiosks in areas such as Omey Island where there is no post office.
Would the Minister consider changing his Department's policy in this matter? I assume there is no need for me to give all the good and obvious reasons why this facility should be provided for the islanders. It is a question of life, of contacting doctors and priests in emergencies. They are cut off from the mainland, as the Minister knows.
I understand the Deputy's concern about this matter. The fact is that the population of the island is very small, only about 30 people. The policy was for a long time that telephone links should not be provided to islands with populations of under about 100. In certain cases it has been extended down to 50 following an interdepartmental committee report. There has to be some limit and I am afraid Omey Island does not measure up.
Would the Minister reconsider the limit?
I will certainly keep the matter under consideration.
12.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when a business telephone will be installed for a person (name supplied) in Moycullen, County Galway.
In about six weeks' time.
13.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the cause of the long delay in providing a telephone service on the site of a large public works project for a person (name supplied) in County Kerry; and the steps he proposes to take to provide service to enable work to proceed on the project.
The delay was due to difficulty in obtaining the necessary wayleave for erection of the pole route to serve the applicant. The installation involves approximately 4½ miles of linework including about 1½ miles of new pole route. It is hoped to commence the work within the next fortnight and to have service provided by the end of August.
14.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the cause of the long delay in providing telephone service for applicants in the Faha and Glenflesk districts in County Kerry; if he is aware that certain applicants who paid deposits many months ago were offered a refund of their deposits; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The normal installation programme in the district in question has been seriously disrupted by the severe storms last winter. Four waiting applicants who made advance payments between November 1973 and January 1974 were offered refunds. Service will be provided for one of them within the next two weeks and for the three others in about two months.
Did the Minister's Department have to make many refunds to people who had paid the money?
This is a specific question. I cannot allow an extension of it.
If the Deputy cares to put down a question I will answer it. The short answer is no.
15.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will arrange for the provision of a public telephone kiosk at Rineen, Miltown-Malbay, County Clare.
My Department are not at present providing kiosks in areas such as Rineen where there is no post office.
16.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the loss incurred by the Exchequer in respect of the repair of 900 telephone kiosks damaged in the 12-month period to 31st March 1974.
£101,000 approximately.
17.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the necessity for providing another telephone kiosk at Newmarket, County Cork; and if he will make the necessary arrangements to have it erected.
The use made of the existing kiosk at Newmarket is not sufficient to justify provision of an additional kiosk at present.
18.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of applicants for telephones on the waiting list in the Tallaght area, County Dublin.
19.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when applicants on the waiting list for telephones in the Tallaght area, County Dublin will be facilitated.
I propose with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 18 and 19 together. There are orders on hand for about 1,500 lines in the Tallaght exchange area. It is expected that clearance of them will start in about four months when the new exchange at Tallaght is brought into service. It is hoped that about two-thirds of the waiting applications will have attention within about three months after the exchange comes into operation. The balance will be cleared according as development in new housing estates in the areas permits the laying of underground cabling.
20.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when telephone subscribers in the Kilnamartyra area of Macroom, County Cork, may expect an all-night service.
The introduction of continuous telephone service at Kilnamartyra Exchange, which has 19 subscribers, is not warranted at present. During the periods when the exchange is closed a number of Kilnamartyra subscribers have service by means of switching over the trunk lines to Macroom Exchange. There are two waiting applicants for night service for whom it is hoped to provide the facility shortly.
21.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will arrange for the erection of a telephone kiosk in Connolly Park, Tralee, County Kerry, as there are 200 houses in this estate, 50 per cent of which are occupied by old age pensioners.
The Connolly Park area is already served by two telephone kiosks in Rock Street which are not extensively used. Provision of an additional kiosk in the general area is not considered warranted at present. The matter will, however, be reconsidered if demand for the existing facilities shows a significant increase.