asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that when subscribers dial the Dublin telephone supervisors to seek assistance, which is always courteously given, it is impossible to get a Dublin telephone exchange to answer; that the call is repeatedly answered by another subscriber (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Telephone Service.
434.
Calls to the telephone number of the chief supervisor, Dublin Exchange, are answered promptly at all times. However, as this is a single telephone, callers may at times find it engaged by another caller. The subscriber referred to in the question as having answered calls intended for the chief supervisor has an unlisted telephone number which is very similar to that of the chief supervisor and could be called in error as a result of inversion of two digits in the telephone number required.
435.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs why it is becoming more difficult for subscribers in Dublin to make contact with Dublin telephone operators to place telephone calls to numbers and exchanges not on the automatic system; if he is aware that it can take 15 to 20 minutes to get a call to numbers operated by manual exchanges in County Donegal, and that often the time factor can exceed this; and, in view of the fact that subscribers in Dublin can dial numbers in cities in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States and get an immediate reply, if he will explain why it takes 20 minutes to ring the Deputy's home number and then be lucky to get a clear line to conduct a conversation without having to raise one's voice.
It is accepted that the standard of international telephone call service available to Dublin subscribers is high, as stated. In the ordinary course, there should be no difficulty in making contact with telephone operators in Dublin to make internal calls as sufficient lines are available for this purpose and adequate operating staff is provided. However, since the strike by the Irish Post Office Engineering Union conditions have not been normal; there have been shortages of trunk circuits and problems with the trunk network leading to difficulties in connecting trunk calls. As a result, there have been delays in answering calls in the Dublin exchange and difficulties in making contact with it despite the best efforts of the operating staff.
The trunk call service for County Donegal has been affected in recent months by a number of faults in the western co-axial cable. The position will be improved next year when a new radio link between Dublin and Sligo is brought into use.
436.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the considerable volume of complaint in the Rush area of Dublin, regarding the unavailability of a public telephone kiosk service; and if he will consider replacing the existing public telephones with vandal-proof phones.
Kiosks in the Rush area, in common with those in many other areas, are, regrettably, subjected to frequent acts of vandalism and it is not possible, despite regular costly maintenance, to ensure that some of the three public telephones in Rush will not be out of order on occasions. My Department have taken various measures over the years to reduce the incidence of damage. It is intended to replace the existing public telephones in Rush next year with specially strengthened units designed to reduce further the risk of damage.