asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if, in view of complaints of interference to rescue services caused by some citizen band radio operators, in particular in the Cork city area over the week ended 2 June 1980, he will expedite the formulation of a licensing system and allocate a specific waveband for these operators; and, if not, why.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Citizens Band Radio.
22.
I assume the Deputy is referring to reports in The Cork Examiner of 2 and 3 June 1980. My Department have not received any complaints of interference to the radio system in question. With regard to the question of licensing a citizens band radio service, I would refer the Deputy to my speech of 30 May 1980 on the Department's Estimate.
On a point of order, the Minister has been chiding us for not sitting down when he was speaking, but this is the first time at Question Time today that he sat down when we were asking questions.
Sorry.
Once the Minister is finished replying he resumes his seat. Once a Deputy is finished asking a supplementary, he resumes his seat. It is up to the Chair to call him to put a second or third supplementary. He should not stand and fire questions for five or ten minutes as is happening here.
Is the Minister aware that there were extensive reports in the media, especially The Cork Examiner, about the interference with the rescue services in Cork during the weekend in question? Is he telling us there were no complaints to any section of his Department about this interference?
I will give an example. Cork city ambulance service comes under the control of the Southern Health Board, which are licensed to operate a fairly elaborate radio system. The Main base control station is located at St. Mary's Hospital, Gurranebraher, and the control centre at the Regional Hospital Wilton, which can feed communications into the system, is linked into the base station of a land line. The actual radio transmissions go out on standard UHF and VHF business radio frequencies. There was no complaint——
The reporter who wrote that article did not dream it up.
I know.
Would the Minister make inquiries to see if there was any basis for the complaint?
I have elaborated on numerous occasions the problems that exist with citizens band radio, such as interference with television. The essential services in Cork were not interfered with that weekend and there have not been any complaints from anybody in the Cork area, with the exception of the article that appeared in The Cork Examiner. I am not saying the reporter dreamed this up, but I am giving the facts. This is one of the reasons why we have to give such meticulous attention to any application for a CB licence.
How deeply did the Minister inquire into The Cork Examiner article?
I have given the reply about the essential services——
How deeply was this article——
Does the Deputy want me to go down to Cork and go from house to house?
The Department should interview the people responsible for publishing the report.
I am not responsible for what the press say. Sometimes I wish I were.
Question No. 23.
How soon does the Minister expect citizen band radio will be licensed in view of the serious abuses being carried out by a minority?
Soon.
How soon? Weeks or months?
We are testing at the moment.
Did the Minister inquire from the Southern Health Board if their services were interfered with?
Yes.
They said they were not?
I will give an example. The Deputy should trust me to give the information that is at hand.
I am not interested in examples. Did the Minister inquire from the Southern Health Roard if CB radio interfered with their services during that weekend?
The Department received no complaints from the Southern Health Board about alleged interference.
I am asking if the Minister inquired from the Southern Health Board?
I did not ask but the Department did.
The Minister's reply said they had not received any complaints.
There was none.
Were inquiries made?
I said the Department did not receive any complaints. Does the Deputy want me to twist the words——
Did the Department ask the Southern Health Board?
If there had been interference the first thing that would have happened is that there would have been complaints.
As a result of the article were inquiries made from the Southern Health Board to see if they had any complaints?
The onus is on the Southern Health Board to complain.
It is not.
(Interruptions.)
Deputy Barry is doing what I said should not be done. I am calling Question No. 23.