asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether he is aware of the fact that telephone subscribers at the Curragh and Newbridge exchanges, County Kildare are finding difficulty in obtaining calls which are properly dialled; and what steps he has taken, or proposes to take, to remedy the situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Kildare Telephone Service.
39.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to a similar Question asked by him on 26th June. Since then extensive tests and enquiries have been made and the results indicate that a satisfactory standard of service is being given.
I asked if the Minister has taken any steps to effect a rectification in the irregularities there. Has that been done? Have any steps been taken?
I do not know exactly what the Deputy means.
If you dial a number in Dublin, you get an answer from somebody in the provinces. It does not seem to me to be the acme of regularity. At least it used not be.
I did not know exactly in what manner the Deputy was making the term applicable. I know now he is making it applicable to the automatic exchange itself. I have told the Deputy in my reply that extensive tests and inquiries have been made and the results indicate that a satisfactory standard of service is being maintained at the exchanges named by the Deputy in his question. An officer of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs visited the exchanges in question and made a number of tests.
I do not want to say the Minister is being unreasonable in his answers in these matters. The truth is that there is a very substantial difference between what the Post Office technicians call a satisfactory service and what the subscribers are getting. Proof of that is to be found in the fact that the Post Office recently had to change some subscribers from the Curragh when they needed to dial 10— all indicating that there was something wrong with the mechanism at the exchange.
It does not indicate that at all. Hitherto Curragh subscribers dialling 10 were answered at Dublin. That system has been changed because of further work that has been done in that area.
There is something basically wrong with the mechanism in both the Curragh and the Newbridge exchanges. Will the Minister keep the matter under observation with a view to providing a better service?
I have had the matter thoroughly examined by Officers of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs and by the engineers. The matter will be kept under continuous observation —the same as every other exchange in the country is kept under observation by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs.
Is there any truth in the rumour, locally believed, that part of the trouble in the Newbridge area arose from cables being tampered with through road repairs? I do not mean maliciously tampered with but accidentally.
I have no information whatsoever here on the matter. It is the first I have heard of it. I do not believe it is true.
I ask the Minister the question because if the unsatisfactory service did arise from that reason, people could understand it. It is something that could be rectified. If that is not the reason, then one cannot understand what the Minister has just said to Deputy Norton. Nobody in Newbridge regards the service as satisfactory at present.
I have not got any complaint except the one mentioned.
If you are in Newbridge or Kildare at 10 o'clock at night, you cannot get any answer because there is no service.