asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will give details of the cost of vandalism to public telephones in Dublin City; the approximate number of public telephones, the percentage that have been converted to the payphone system; and if there is any evidence to support the view that there is less vandalism caused to the all transparent type booth.
Written Answers. - Vandalism to Telephones.
767.
The records of the Department are kept for the Dublin engineering district and not for Dublin City alone.
The Dublin engineering district includes parts of Counties Meath, Kildare and North Wicklow.
The costs of maintenance including all repairs and renewals to telephone kiosks in the Dublin engineering district in 1982 was £261,694. This figure includes £149,878 for malicious damage costs.
There are approximately 930 public telephones in the Dublin engineering district. Eighty-five per cent of these have been converted to payphones and it is expected that the balance will be converted by the end of 1983.
The aluminium type kiosk have been erected in large numbers only since 1982. A number of teething problems experienced with these kiosks have been resolved. Because of the high level of vandalism it is not possible to say at this stage whether this type of kiosk is subject to a lesser degree of vandalism. However, this question is being kept under review.