asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs why there has been a delay in effecting the transfer of telephone service for an applicant (details supplied) in Dublin; and when service will be provided.
Written Answers. - Telephone Service.
268.
It is expected that service will be provided within the next two months or so. The delay is due to a fault in the local cable.
269.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if the additional telephone cabling in the Dunboyne area, County Meath, originally planned for completion by the end of 1979 has now been completed.
Main cabling in the area has been completed and service has been provided to some 60 applicants. Because of the volume of engineering work awaiting attention I regret that it has not been possible as yet to complete the local cabling to serve all the remaining applicants. This work will be carried out and outstanding applications will be dealt with progressively over the next year or so.
270.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the present position regarding Dunshaughlin telephone exchange, County Meath; when it will become operational; and the additional lines which will then become available for telephone applicants in the area.
The existing Dunshaughlin exchange has adequate capacity to meet requirements until about the end of next year. A contract is about to be placed for a new telephone exchange building to meet requirements after that. The initial equipment installation, which will be of the digital type, will replace the existing exchange and increase present capacity by 400 subscribers lines. It is expected that the new exchange will be ready for service by the end of next year.
271.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he adheres to his target of the end of this year for the conversion of Oldcastle telephone exchange, County Meath to automatic working.
It will not, regrettably, be practicable to meet the tentative forecast previously given of conversion of Oldcastle exchange to automatic working by the end of this year. It is now expected that the change over will be made in the second half of 1982.
272.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if the additional circuits to Dublin, for Ballivor telephone exchange, County Meath which were promised for mid-1980 and early 1981, have yet been provided; and, if not, why.
I regret that, because of pressure of other work in Dublin trunk exchange, it was not possible to meet the forecast of mid-1980 for the provision of additional circuits on the Ballivor-Dublin route. However, the first instalment of these circuits was provided last month and enough further additional circuits to ensure a good standard of service will be provided within the next three months.
The transfer of the Enfield-Dublin section of the existing circuits to a co-axial cable last month has resulted in an improvement in the quality of service in the Ballivor area.
273.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if the Kells, Carnaross and Carlanstown telephone exchanges, County Meath, will be converted to automatic working in the 3rd quarter of 1981, as he promised in his reply to parliamentary question No. 341 of 19 June 1980.
Yes, unless some unforeseen difficulties arise in the meantime.
274.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if Enfield and Summerhill telephone exchanges, County Meath, will be converted to automatic working by the end of 1981 as indicated in a letter sent by his Department on 26 November 1979.
When the decision to opt for digital exchange technology was made last year, the opportunity was taken of providing that type of equipment at Enfield and Summerhill. This has necessarily resulted in some delay in converting these exchanges to automatic working and the current forecast is that the digital automatic exchanges for both of these centres will be in service in the first half of 1982.
275.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will provide a telephone kiosk in Clonee, County Meath.
The circumstances at Clonee were reviewed recently and in the light of changes since the matter was last considered, it has been decided that a kiosk should now be provided there. One will be erected there as soon as a suitable site is selected and the necessary consents obtained.