asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (a) the number of people employed by his Department as switchboard operators and telephonists in the Dublin city area; and (b) the number of blind people employed as switchboard operators and telephonists in that area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment of Blind Persons.
157.
The number of people employed by my Department under the headings set out are: (a) 1,420; (b) None.
158.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (a) the present position in regard to adapting automatic telephone switchboards and whether this adaptation is reducing employment for blind people; and (b) whether his Department carry out special retraining courses for blind people to enable them to adapt themselves to automatic telephone switchboards so that they will be able to obtain employment as telephonists and switchboard operators, et cetera.
Blind telephonists are employed where possible on switchboards associated with private automatic branch exchanges provided by my Department for State and semi-State offices. There has been no change of policy in this regard. In the case of switchboards of this kind not provided by my Department but by telephone equipment contractors for other organisations including private firms, the installation, adaptation and staffing of the switchboards is a matter for the individual organisation or firm purchasing or renting them.
The training and retraining of blind persons in switchboard operating is carried out by qualified instructors of the National Council for the Blind under a scheme operated by the Department of Health. My Department is, of course, willing and indeed anxious to help in any way possible.
Would the Minister be able to say if any incentive is, in fact, provided to employers to employ blind people, remembering that these people may not be able to take ordinary employment?
The answer is "No". I suggest to the Deputy that this question should not be directed to me or to my Department. It is a question for the Department of Social Welfare or, possibly, the Department of Finance.
I addressed the question to the Minister because I thought it was a matter concerning the Minister's Department since telephones are one of his specialities and I thought he might make representations in the proper quarter.
Would the Minister not agree that it is a matter for his Department above all because this is one capacity in which these blind people can be employed and is it not undesirable for him to shuffle off his responsibility in this fashion?
I am not shuffling off my responsibility.
The Minister sounds very like it.
If the Deputy had been here and heard the answer he would not make a comment like that.
I was here and I heard the reply.