asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs why his Department did not reply to letters from the town clerk of Midleton Urban District Council, one on 16th December, 1967 and a second on 13th March, 1968, in connection with having displayed in the telephone booths in the town the emergency numbers of the Garda, fire brigade and ambulance; and why these letters were not even acknowledged.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Emergency Numbers in Telephone Booths.
8.
This matter was the subject of correspondence between the Midleton Urban District Council and the Department in 1966 and in May and June, 1967. The proposal then put forward was not favoured but when the council raised the matter again towards the end of 1967 the Department decided to reconsider it in the light of a general review being made of the arrangements for dealing with telephone calls for emergency services. The council should, of course, have been so advised. The failure to do so is very much regretted.
Is the Minister aware of the harm done by the failure to have these numbers displayed and the danger that exists of inability to contact services immediately in cases of emergency?
As the Deputy knows, this matter has now been settled and the proposals have been agreed that subscribers in the area, in case of emergency, can dial 10 and get Cork city exchange who will dial the appropriate service or they can dial the local services themselves, for which they have to have four pennies available. I will be quite frank about this. I very much regret the delay that took place, which was due to the fact that this emergency service has to be examined throughout the country and conditions are not always the same because of the distribution of the exchanges and the fact that it is not always possible to make an immediate arrangement of this kind. I very much regret the delay that has taken place and have advised the Department accordingly.
Does the Minister consider that dialling Cork and all the rest of the red tape that he has gathered around the Department will hasten the arrival of an ambulance or the fire brigade? Why not give permission to the urban council to display these numbers in the telephone booths?
That is being arranged.
I hope it is, and that I will not have to raise the matter again.