Vol. 396 No. 3
2 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Communications if his attention has been drawn to the plans of Telecom Éireann to curtail the duration of local calls; if his approval will be necessary for such a change; if so, if he will approve such a curtailment; and, if so, if a reduction in local call charges on the one hand and an expansion of local call boundaries on the other is to be required by him as a quid pro quo for any such curtailment.
Telecom Éireann have not submitted to me any application to curtail the duration of local calls. If and when they do I will take all relevant matters into account.
Is it the Minister's intention to ask Telecom Éireann to give a quid pro quo to telephone consumers if they should seek to restrict the length of local telephone calls? Is the Minister aware of the unfairness of the situation throughout the country, especially in less densely populated parts where the number of subscribers in the local call area is very small indeed?
Telecom Éireann have not submitted any application to curtail the duration of local calls. Therefore the question asked is a hypothetical one and I would not like to answer it.
Is the Minister not aware that this is a well publicised plan of Telecom Éireann which is causing concern throughout the country? Is he not further aware that many areas of this country are disadvantaged because most telephone calls there are deemed to be long distance calls which are very costly?
In reply to the second part of the Deputy's question, if he would put down a specific question I will answer it. In relation to the first part of the question, there is no proposal before me or suggestion from Telecom Éireann for a curtailment of calls.
Question No. 3, please.
May I ask the Minister——
I am calling the next question. This question is involving repetition.
Is the Minister not aware that Telecom Éireann have so planned?
Order. Question No. 3.
