asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that the procedure by which personal calls cannot be booked by local rural exchanges has caused great inconvenience, and if he will accordingly revert to the old system by which such calls could be booked by subscribers from all local exchanges.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Personal Telephone Calls.
The answer to both parts of the question is in the negative.
Under the revised personal call procedure introduced early this year, a caller booking a personal call through a small rural exchange is put through at once to a controlling exchange where the operator will endeavour to set up the call while the caller waits.
The arrangement is designed to accelerate the service for callers, to reduce time losses on lengthy trunk circuits and to put the handling of personal calls from rural telephones on the same basis as in urban areas.
If the Deputy will furnish particulars of any difficulties that have come to his notice, I will have them looked into specially.