asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will set up information offices throughout the country to deal with day-to-day inquiries, complaints and inadequacies in the telephone system and, in particular, queries about the inaccurate tabulation of telephone bills.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Written Answers. - Telephone Service.
41.
The desirability of customers being able to deal with local offices in regard to the matters mentioned is accepted. The transfer from headquarters of as much work as possible that could be dealt with better locally has been in progress for some time. The first step is to have the work devolved to district headquarters offices and when this had been done, the establishment of further offices will be pursued. Before inquiries, complaints, etc., about telephone billing can be dealt with effectively locally, however, substantial changes in the present computer billing system must be carried out and detailed consultations held with the staff interests affected. The extension of the service mentioned will, regrettably, take some time to complete.
47.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when an automatic telephone service will be provided for Ballybofey, County Donegal.
In 1984.
48.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when the telephone exchange in Donegal town will be converted to full automation; and the consequences of automation for the telephonists in the exchange there.
It is expected to convert Donegal exchange to automatic working during the first half of 1983. Operator services will be retained at Donegal on an interim basis after automatic service is introduced in the area. The volume of operator-assisted traffic there will, however, be greatly reduced under automatic conditions and there will, therefore, be a substantial reduction in the number of staff.
Full-time staff who become surplus to local requirements will have the option of transferring to another exchange or resigning. Full-time staff transferring will be paid a resettlement allowance and those who opt to resign will be paid compensation.
Part-time staff are recruited locally for specific exchanges. It may be possible to offer a small number of them working long hours employment at another exchange but other night staff will have their services terminated and be paid compensation.
55.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when a telephone service will be provided for a person (details supplied) in Dublin City.
Within about a year.
56.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of complaints about telephone bills presented to his Department in the last year; and the number of complaints that have resulted in an ultimate settlement for less than the sum first billed.
Separate records are not kept of complaints as distinct from inquiries seeking information about telephone accounts. A total of some 150,000 inquiries, including complaints, were received, in respect of over two million accounts issued in the year ended 30 September 1982. A rebate was allowed in 15,290 cases. The original accounts in all of these cases were not inaccurate. Where there is doubt, the subscriber is given the benefit.
57.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs how much it would cost his Department to install telephone meters that would present bills that (a) give the number of calls made, (b) distinguish the units used on local and long-distance calls; and whether he will consider installing such a system.
The question of introducing itemised billing for telephone subscribers is at present under consideration and studies are in progress to determine feasibility and cost. When the costs and other factors are established, a decision in the matter will be taken. Account will also have to be taken of the likely demand for the service, which will be chargeable to the subscribers availing of it.
58.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the steps he proposes to reassure the public that telephone bills are correct.
I am glad of this opportunity to reassure Deputies and the public generally that the telephone accounting system is basically sound and reliable.
A record is kept of all calls made via the telephone operator and, in the case of trunk calls, the destination of calls and their duration are recorded and are made available on request where the authenticity of a call is disputed. The equipment used for metering calls made on the automatic system is of the same kind as that used in other telephone administrations and is highly reliable. Suggestions made publicly that there is no proper basis for the bills issued and that the Department were deliberately overcharging were groundless and irresponsible and have tended to undermine confidence in the billing system.
No system is, of course, perfect and, as in every other telephone administration, errors can occur due to clerical failures and malfunctioning of equipment. The best way of maintaining public confidence is to achieve maximum accuracy and to deal promptly and efficiently with customers' inquiries. Ways in which the reliability of the system can be improved are being sought continuously. For example, two measures taken recently should result in reducing greatly the scope for clerical errors. These are the extension nationally of the system of reading meter usage by the photographic process and the processing directly by computer of the meter readings from the photographic prints. Improved metering equipment is being installed in some of the older exchanges and the arrangements for improved testing of equipment affecting the metering of calls are also being made. In addition, the time taken to deal with customers' inquiries has been greatly reduced. All of these measures should, I expect, be helpful in giving users greater confidence in the billing arrangements but clearly the matter will require continuing attention and it will be given this.
Steps have been taken to try to counteract ill-founded criticism of the billing system by explaining the position on television and radio and a new leaflet explaining how the billing system works is being prepared for issue to individual subscribers.
59.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the reason for the long delay in installing telephones for persons in County Kerry, some of whom have been waiting for over three years.
There are some 26 telephone exchanges in County Kerry, including Killarney, where applicants within a distance of three kilometres from the local exchanges are offered service on application, the telephones being installed within about three months from the date of application.
However, there are about 1,100 waiting applications elsewhere in the county. It has not been possible to provide service in these cases so far because of the amount of engineering work required.
The Deputy will be aware of the Government's plans for the expansion and development of the telephone service. These plans are well advanced and it is expected that most of the existing waiting applications in County Kerry will be attended to next year.