asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state the number of applicants for the installation of telephones on the waiting list at present and the cause of the delay in dealing with the many applicants in Dublin City and County.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Applications for Telephones (Dublin).
Mr. Byrne
There were on hands at 30th September, 1950, 5,400 applications for telephones, of which 3,400 were for Dublin City and County. The applications are being dealt with systematically by exchange areas. Already this year applications made in 1949 in most of the city exchange areas have been cleared and the remaining areas will be dealt with shortly.
The delay in dealing with applications both in Dublin and elsewhere is due to the arrears which accumulated in the years when engineering stores were virtually unobtainable and to the immense increase in demand for telephones.