asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether he will state for what reason a telephone call office was refused to the village of Coolgreaney, Co. Wexford; whether he is aware that it is a much larger village with more prospective users than several places already supplied with a telephone call office; and if he will reconsider his decision in this matter.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - TELEPHONE FACILITIES IN CO. WEXFORD.
As explained in my letter of the 5th instant to the Deputy, the opening of a telephone call office at Coolgreaney would involve the erection of about two miles of new pole route. The cost of providing and maintaining the service would be greatly in excess of the revenue to be anticipated from a call office and as the project would involve an appreciable loss to public funds, I regret that it is not possible to proceed with it.
Each application for the opening of a call office is considered on its merits, due regard being given to the expense involved as against the estimated revenue; and as regards the call offices at the other places referred to by the Deputy it may be taken that the circumstances were more favourable than in the case of Coolgreaney.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary state what would be the estimated cost of wiring and other items over the two miles?
I cannot give the Deputy the details of the separate items, but I can tell him this, that the estimated cost would be £27 and the estimated annual revenue would be £7, showing a net loss to the Post Office of £20.
Seeing that the Post Office costs the ratepayers £2,000,000 a year, will the Parliamentary Secretary say that all those places on which there is a loss will be closed down—that is, all places that are not paying for their maintenance?
If the Deputy's information in this particular case is as accurate as his information about the cost to the ratepayers of the working of the Post Office, I could not regard his information as reliable.