asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that there is considerable difficulty in obtaining country numbers from the city of Dublin on the automatic dial and vice versa; if, in view of the fact that within the last three years he undertook to take steps to improve the telephone system generally, he will detail the steps that he took; and if he considers that the service is as effective as it should be.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Improvement of Telephone System.
40.
I am aware that difficulties in dialling trunk calls because of pressure on the automatic equipment during periods of heavy traffic are being experienced. Additional equipment to cater for the increasing traffic has been installed and more which has been on order for a considerable time is at present being installed.
Very extensive improvements have been made in the telephone system in recent years in the way of providing additional trunk circuits and the development of the automatic system, and the programme of improvement is continuing. I shall give particulars in greater detail when the Estimate for my Department comes before the House.
Would the Minister not consider advertising what are the off-peak hours so that people who can do so could wait to dial in the off-peak hours and thus reduce the pressure in the peak hours?
I am sure these are pretty well known to habitual users.
Would the Minister tell me what they are? I should like to know. I have never discovered them.
Is the Minister aware there is a telephone in the room next door to us which has not been working for the past 12 months?
I used it yesterday.
Does the Minister think it desirable to inform the public that there is a strange and perhaps inexplicable peak in the night telephone service between the hours of 8 o'clock and 10 o'clock and 10 o'clock and 11 o'clock? Nobody knows about it except myself and I had to go down to the exchange to find out. It is very hard to understand but there it is.
Not on all nights.
It seems to be true here and elsewhere.
The Minister knows that automatic trunk dialling is entirely impossible here at the moment.
When there is heavy pressure on the automatic system, it is subject to failure. That is purely mechanical.
Could the Minister tell me when there is not heavy pressure on it so we could dial at those times?
I suggest the Deputy should read the Telephone Directory where he will get most of the information necessary.
It does not give that information because there is not any time you can get through.
The Minister is the worst man to present his own case I ever knew.
The only Government agency that pays has been set aside by Fianna Fáil and not expanded the way it should. That is what it amounts to.
Nonsense. In the past three years, in an attempt to put the telephone system generally in better condition, we have had 50 major schemes carried out. At the moment a very big number of schemes is on hands. During that time 100 lesser schemes were carried out. Over 75 per cent of the entire subscribers are on automatic dialling. This is well known to everybody but some people prefer to think of the time the telephone does not work.
There may be automatic dialling but you cannot dial automatically.
The Minister's best is not good enough. He is a failure, as was his predecessor.
The one thing nobody has asked me to explain is the reason for the explosion in the demand for telephone service in the past few years. It is an indication of better circumstances and a higher standard generally.
(Interruptions.)
The Minister asks for a deposit of £60 before a telephone is installed.
Which we get without any trouble. There was never more money around.
Mr. O'Malley
If the Minister told you what the off-peak was, the off-peak would become the peak.
May I ask the Taoiseach whether he considers it appropriate for the Minister for Health to attempt to usurp the functions of the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs?
It is all part of the reshuffle.
He got the wrong number that time.