asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will have a public telephone kiosk erected in Creeslough, County Donegal.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Telephone Kiosks.
96.
The use likely to be made of a kiosk at Creeslough would not be sufficient to justify its provision at present.
Is the Minister aware that this village serves a very wide rural area and that the telephone in the Garda barracks is being used by the people in the village to contact the doctor, the vet and the different Departments and services? The Garda barrack is closed at 10 o'clock. The post office also closes. In fact, with respect, there is a need for a telephone kiosk in the village.
The Department informs me that the proceeds from the call office are average.
Will the Minister ask his Department to inquire from the people who requested me to raise this question?
The Department know from the takings in the call office already.
There are no takings in the Garda station.
People from the village must travel to places like Dunfanaghy and Letterkenny.
I am also aware that villages with a larger population than this village has have not yet got telephone kiosks.
They may have private telephones.
The telephone kiosk programme must be related to the capital available. A certain number are put up each year. That has been the policy followed by the Department and the Department must also ensure that such installations pay their way.
97.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will take steps to have a public telephone kiosk erected at Nairn, Portnoo, County Donegal, for visitors to this popular seaside resort.
The use likely to be made of a kiosk at Nairn, Portnoo, would not be sufficient to justify its provision.
Does the Minister know what he is talking about?
He does.
This is one of the most popular seaside resorts in the north-west where last year we had in the neighbourhood of 150 caravans. Is the Minister aware that in every house in the locality there are visitors during the summer months and that there is no public telephone kiosk? Will the Minister look into this matter and try to make available to visitors to this premier resort the amenities which they would expect to get and which even the poorer seaside resorts in other countries enjoy?
It is not the premier resort in the country.
I said in the north-west.
It is the policy to give special treatment to seaside resorts and places to which people come in numbers. In view of that, I shall have another look at the matter.
Most of the visitors are from the Six Counties and they are anxious to contact their families at home. Quite a number of places have no public telephones. Is the Minister aware that these people coming here are anxious to keep in touch with their families and their businesses?
There is a call office there already and the Deputy knows that the receipts are negligible, except in the summer months.
The Minister should consult other than his officials. The officials are anxious for as little trouble as possible after hours.
I shall have another look at it.