asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether he is aware that a number of telephone subscribers in the Newbridge area, County Kildare, still complain of the unsatisfactory telephone service; and what steps are being taken by the Post Office to remedy the situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Newbridge Telephone Service.
36.
I am not aware that a number of telephone subscribers in Droichead Nua area still complain of unsatisfactory telephone service. Since the initial troubles were remedied the automatic exchange equipment has been functioning efficiently and only one complaint of unsatisfactory service has been received from a subscriber in the recent past. This complaint is under investigation.
Has the Minister no information about the extent of the discontent existing in the Newbridge area at the continued unsatisfactory manner in which the telephone service is operated there? Is he not aware of the fact that if you dial a call to Dublin, you are liable to get anybody in Dublin? As far as subscriber trunk dialling is concerned, it is giving very unsatisfactory service in that area. Is the Minister further aware that two large businesses in Newbridge, which are considerably interested in the export trade, are finding their businesses frustrated by the disappointments they get when they have to use the telephone? Would the Minister send somebody down to Newbridge to see what exactly is happening and with a view to applying a remedy to the unsatisfactory conditions there, which have now gone on for four to six months?
I have told the Deputy that I received only one complaint recently. That complaint was from a bloodstock agency. The position was as stated by the Deputy when this exchange was first opened, but it has been remedied since. Whatever troubles existed there do not exist any longer. That is my information.
I am telling the Deputy that I can produce letters I received in the last few days where people complained. One person dialled an insurance office in Dublin and got the Department of Defence. You cannot talk to anybody in Newbridge on the subject of telephones without everybody wanting to complain. There is something obviously wrong with the internal mechanism when you dial a Dublin number and get somebody in Letterkenny. You will get numbers completely out of course altogether. Notwithstanding what the report before him says, the Minister should send somebody down to Newbridge to examine the situation.
Would the Minister, for the public weal, impose upon himself this obligation? Every day would be himself telephone on three of these so-called exchanges and see what happens? I assure him he will get a great shock if he dials Naas and discovers himself talking to Cork and if he dials Cork and finds himself in correspondence with the city of Galway. I know that does not always happen. But if the Minister would make spot trials himself from time to time, I think he would more actively sympathise with those who make representations in this House.
That is not my experience.
On the matter of courtesy, has the Minister ever had the experience of ringing for at least 50 minutes before a reply was received and then hearing from the operator: "What the hell are you ringing for?"?
Operators are not expected to treat subscribers in that way.
I am very pleased to hear that, because this week I hope to have the facts placed before the Minister and the local postmaster.
I have already indicated to the House that if I get a definite complaint which can be fastened on a particular individual and proved, I shall take whatever action is needed.
Is the Minister aware that five times in the last hour a call I had from this House to Cork was cut off in the exchange?
Is the Minister further aware that I dialled 10 from this House from 10.20 to 10.30 and got no reply, and that I dialled 30 from 10.30 until 10.42 and had to put back the receiver without getting a reply?
You could dial Roscommon and get on to Monaghan.
If the Parliamentary Secretary told me he dialled Limerick and got Ballydehob, I would not be surprised.
Is the Minister aware that recently a subscriber rang 999, the emergency Garda service, and asked would somebody go down and find out if there was any reply from the post office exchange because he had been dialling for an hour?