asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will consider providing a telephone kiosk at Corcaghan, County Monaghan.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Monaghan Telephone Kiosk.
108.
Provision of kiosks in areas such as Corcaghan where there is no post office is not envisaged under the extended kiosk programme for rural areas.
Is the Minister aware that this is an area in County Monaghan where there is a church, a parochial house, a school, a teacher's residence, two shops, and a centre of population? Would the Minister in the circumstances consider providing a telephone kiosk in this area where there is no public telephone within a mile?
I understand that the village comprises of a church, a school, two shops, a licensed premises and one other house and that the population of the area within one mile's radius of this village is about 200 people. I am told there is a street kiosk in Monaghan about four miles away and a public call office telephone about a mile away at Stranooden post office. The use made of the call office telephone is very slight. From this, the Department officials recommended the provision of a kiosk in this area should not take place.
Is it not a fact that the post office at Stranooden is closed each evening after a certain hour?
That is true, but the telephone is always available in emergency cases.
The Minister says this is a sparsely-populated area. That is even a greater reason why a telephone should be provided. This is in the heart of a pilot area which is supposed to be receiving preferential treatment. It is an area where an effort is being made to retain the population as it is at present there. In that light I would ask the Minister to intervene in this and to reconsider his views seriously.
We will have another look at it. I am reasonably sure the answer will be the same.
The Dáil adjourned at 4.45 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Tuesday, 26th May, 1970.