asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of applications for phones in Galway city; and when he hopes to have same dealt with.
Ceisteanna — Questions Oral Answers. - Telephone Service.
76.
There are 215 applicants for telephones in Galway at present. Telephones are in course of provision for 95 of these and terms have been quoted to a further 30. It is expected that terms will be quoted within about a month to the remainder with the exception of a few very recent applicants.
77.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the considerable delays often lasting for hours incurred by people phoning the Department of Social Welfare; and when he expects to have a proper service installed.
The number of exchange lines and operator switchboards serving the private branch exchange at the Department of Social Welfare are inadequate for the volume of telephone calls to that Department at certain times.
An order was placed in May, 1969, for additional exchange line equipment and for additional switchboards. It was expected that delivery and installation would be completed by the end of this year. Because of delay on the part of the contractor, however, delivery is not now expected until January, 1971, and installation will not be completed until the end of April, 1971.
I am sure the Minister will agree that the situation is deplorable and in view of the fact that it cannot be improved until the middle of 1971 at the earliest, may I ask the Minister if it would not be possible to have some separate numbers coming in as an emergency measure because the Minister will admit that this is one Department to which the public have constant recourse in relation to claims and so on? There is a need for such an emergency measure to be adopted. The number of people who would telephone the Department of Social Welfare by comparison with the number who would, for instance, telephone the Department of Finance would be considerable.
I agree with what the Deputy has said in relation to the switchboard situation in the Department of Social Welfare being highly unsatisfactory. We had hoped, as I told the Deputy in my reply, to have rectified this by the end of this year but, unfortunately, the contractor was not able to get the equipment. However, I will have a look at the suggestion put forward by the Deputy and if it is possible to adopt his suggestion, it shall be done.
Will the Minister not agree that the situation is relieved because of the courtesy and helpfulness of the telephonists?
I agree.
78.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will take steps to erect a telephone kiosk at Donacarney, Drogheda, County Louth, as there is no telephone available in the area at night or week-ends.
Provision of kiosks in areas such as Donacarney where there is no post office is not envisaged under the extended kiosk programme for rural areas.
Because this village is now growing into a very populated area would the Minister not consider the erection of a telephone kiosk there, particularly since there is a space beside houses which would mean that there would be no danger of vandalism in so far as the kiosk would be concerned?
My information is that there is no post office in Donacarney and that the village comprises one small shop and about 30 houses with a population of about 100 people; that the nearest public telephone kiosks are in Mornington and Bettystown, both of which places are about two miles from Donacarney. I understand also from the Department that neither of these aforementioned kiosks is heavily used. There are nine private lines in Donacarney village and unless the population increases and there is more development in the area I do not consider it likely that we will be able to erect a kiosk there in the near future.
The Minister will understand that a high percentage of the population are elderly persons. The lack of a public telephone in the area has caused extreme difficulty at night when some of these people have become ill. There is no point in saying there is a telephone two miles away or that there are nine private lines in the village because nobody wishes to be disturbed during the night and, in particular, they would not wish to be disturbed by somebody from an ordinary working man's house.
In view of what the Deputy has said in relation to a high percentage of the population being elderly people, we will have another look at the matter and if it should be possible to erect a kiosk there, we shall do so.
I thank the Minister.