asked the Minister for Justice if he will have steps taken to provide radio communication between mainland Garda stations and residents of islands off the coast which would enable messages of an urgent nature to be exchanged.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Radio Communication with Coastal Islands.
Mr. Boland
The answer is no. The more populous of the coastal islands are at present in telecommunication with the mainland and the cost of installing and maintaining radio stations on the other islands in which the population is sparse would be quite out of proportion to their possible value for police purposes.
Apart from police purposes, would the Minister not agree that some arrangement should be made to cope with an emergency such as England has had in the last week or so, and that some means of communication should be made available, even though costly to maintain, for the purpose of dealing with such an emergency?
Mr. Boland
I look at it from the point of view of the police authorities. The Deputy had better address that question to another Minister.
Would the Minister discuss it with the other Departments concerned?
Mr. Boland
I have approached it only from that point of view.