asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will provide a telephone kiosk at Mornington, County Meath.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Service.
111.
There is already a public telephone kiosk in Mornington. Provision of a second kiosk in the area is not considered warranted.
112.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will consider the provision of a public telephone kiosk at Knocknagoshel, County Kerry in order to provide a 24-hour service for the village and surrounding area.
Provision of a Kiosk at Knocknagoshel is not consider warranted at present.
113.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will consider the provision of a telephone kiosk at Corcaghan, County Monaghan.
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.
114.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will make a statement on telephone applications in South West Cork.
There are about 460 applications for telephones awaiting attention in the area in question. Arrangements have already been made to provide service for 70 of these and it is expected that terms will be quoted to at least a further 180 before the end of the year. The remainder will be attended to next year.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that some applications are outstanding for some more than two years and many are outstanding for more than 12 months? Is he also aware that some applications are from town houses and residences adjacent to urban districts? Surely there is no justification for the delays that have occurred in the case of many of these applications from the constituency of Cork South West?
The reply gives a picture of the programme envisaged up to next year and it seems to me to be quite satisfactory.
Is it true to say that any applications are dealt with on a political basis and that, if the applicant is in a position to pressurise the Department, even though there is no special merit attaching to his application, he can get service in advance of applicants with, possibly, more merit or who are waiting on the list for much longer and where no differences exist so far as locations or technical questions are concerned?
If the Deputy is insinuating that we say "No" to Labour Party applications the answer is "No".
The Parliamentary Secretary should not smile at this. We have had too much of this.
Will the Deputy produce the evidence? He is making an accusation for which he is not producing any evidence.
I am not making any accusation. I asked the question in a certain way because I only heard this. I am not sure. I admit freely that I could not produce the evidence.
That is better.
If I gave any other impression it was a false one. I asked the question because people on the waiting list say that Fianna Fáil people can get their phones without any trouble. I do not know if that is so. Possibly it is not. This is the place to ask the question. I should like the Parliamentary Secretary to say whether or not it is so. That is all I want.
No, it is not so.
I will not argue.
115.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when he expects the new switching equipment to be installed in Navan telephone exchange, County Meath; and how long it has been on order.
Additional switching equipment for Navan, County Meath, telephone exchange was ordered in February, 1971. Portion of this equipment is expected to be installed by August next and the balance by the end of the year.
Has there been a delay in the supply of this equipment?
Yes. There are delays in supplies of this kind.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary tell me if the delay has been greater than was anticipated when the order was placed and, if so, why?
That is a separate question.
Discussions have taken place with the contractor and there is an assurance that the balance of the order will be completed by the end of December next.