asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state (a) when Mr. J.H. Whaley, Bloomsbury, Kells, County Meath, first applied for a telephone; (b) the dates on which he renewed his application; (c) the number of telephone connections made within one mile of his residence since he made his application; (d) the reason why he has so far not got a connection; and (e) the approximate date on which he will get connected.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meath Telephone Applicant.
46.
The information requested is as follows:—
(a) 11th January, 1961.
(b) The applicant made written inquiry in May, 1961, and in February, March, August and October, 1962.
(c) None.
(d) The construction work involved in providing service in this case is particularly heavy, and includes the erection of 1½ miles of new poles and two miles of new linework on existing poles. It has been necessary to defer the clearance of exceptional applications of this sort in order to avoid diversion of engineering effort from trunk line work that is necessary in the interest of the telephone service generally.
(e) I regret that I cannot at present give any reliable forecast of the likely date of connection in this case.
Is the Minister sure that the 1961 application is the first one that was made? Is it not a fact that there was one made two years earlier?
"A tentative inquiry concerning the cost of a telephone service was made orally at the post office in 1959 but no application was made at that time." I am relying on the notation made at the time by the officials in Ceannanus Mór Post Office. I had a letter from Mr. Whaley on 5th February, 1962, in which he claimed he was waiting two and a half years. In a letter he wrote to the public Press, he said he made application in 1957. Two and a half years from 5th February, 1962, would be 1959.
I am not prepared to discuss Mr. Whaley's mathematical abilities across the floor of the House. I want to ask the Minister is it not a fact that at least after 1961 Mr. Whaley was told that if a group of people in the area would take connection—and names were mentioned—he might be able to get connection. Having organised that group, they were connected and he was not. Can the Minister explain why a scheme which was introduced in 1963 should have prevented Mr. Whaley from getting connected in 1961?
Application was made in 1961. I answered the Deputy's question at (c) with regard to the number of telephone connections made within one mile of his residence after the date of his application in 1961. I have no information in relation to the statement now made by Deputy Tully that Mr. Whaley was advised to organise a group. I do not know anything about that. There is nothing on the file either, and I have read the file from beginning to end. There is just one application form on it filled in, probably, by someone in the post office, for Jack Reginald Whaley. I am unable to verify any conversations Mr. Whaley had with any official in the post office in Ceannanus Mór or to discount what is alleged to have taken place.
In order to clear the issue finally, would the Minister state if, in fact, a statement was made to someone who made representations on behalf of Mr. Whaley that the reason he did not get it was that he was not politically entitled to it?
That statement has no foundation. If the allegation is that I made the statement, there is no foundation for it. This is the second time I heard it.
That is the reason I am raising it.
It was written to another Minister by Mrs. Whaley and I want to say there is no foundation whatsoever for it. The fact is, of course, that the engineering branch determine when a telephone will be connected. I do not interfere in that, and I have not interfered since I became Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. The engineering branch will determine when the phone will be installed for Mr. Whaley.
If Mr. Whaley had applied for this telephone in 1957, would he have got it?
I am unable to answer that.
The reason I ask is that I know a man who has been waiting six years for a telephone.
Question No. 47 postponed.