Vol. 262 No. 9
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the urgent need for providing extra trunk circuits from Millstreet telephone exchange, County Cork to Mallow and Killarney; and, if so, if he will indicate his Department's proposals in the matter.
179.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the urgent need to provide extra switchboards at Millstreet telephone exchange, County Cork; and if his Department will sanction the provision of a new telephone exchange on a site adjacent to the town.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 178 and 179 together. I am aware that there has been an urgent need for some time past to provide extra trunk circuits from Millstreet telephone exchange and am pleased to say that six extra circuits to Mallow were provided last week. The total number of trunk circuits from Millstreet to Mallow and Killarney is now regarded as adequate.
There are two switchboards at Millstreet exchange and these are adequate for present needs. A third switchboard will be required there in the near future. There are some accommodation problems to be resolved before it can be installed and this aspect is being pursued. A new telephone exchange will be provided at Millstreet in due course to cater for the introduction of automatic working.
180.
andMr. T.J. Fitzpatrick (Cavan) asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when it is proposed to instal an automatic telephone exchange at Shercock, County Cavan.
It is proposed to instal an automatic telephone exchange at Shercock, County Cavan in three to four years time.
181.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when it is proposed to instal an automatic telephone exchange in Monaghan town.
It is proposed to instal an automatic telephone exchange in Monaghan town in about three years.
182.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when it is proposed to instal an automatic telephone exchange for Clones, County Monaghan.
It is hoped to instal an automatic exchange at Clones, County Monaghan in about five years time.
183.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the poor level of telephone service; the reason for the worsening of the service; and the proposals he has to improve it.
I do not accept the Deputy's description of the level of telephone service or his suggestion that it has worsened. On the contrary, there have been substantial improvements in recent years. If the Deputy will let me have particulars of defects he has experienced I shall be glad to look into them.
As regards improvements, works are continuously in progress to improve the service and to provide for its extension and development. In the current year some £13.73 million will be spent on such works, a figure which compares with £11.11 million in 1971-72.
I am absolutely amazed that the Minister is not aware of the poor service and that he is not aware that it is worsening. That being the case, I can only commend to him, perhaps, an examination of the general service throughout the country, not only so far as the automatic service is concerned, which in many cases does not seem to work without recourse to the operators, but also in regard to the manual service, which is inadequately staffed, and which is a well-known reason for the difficulty in getting service in Dublin. Therefore, because of the delays caused either by the lack of manual operators or the inadequacy or the imperfections of the automatic service, would the Minister not, even at this late stage, in order to give the long-suffering public who pay for it all some redress, at least give the public the opportunity of being called back when they are trying to get trunk calls, particularly from the city? It is all right in the country where the people oblige by calling back but here they are busy and it is not possible. I would like the Minister to have a look at the service because it is bad. I say this not only as a subscriber who suffers a great deal from it but also from the knowledge which has been brought to me by many other people.
I do not think the situation is as black as Deputy Blaney sets it out to be. However, I shall carefully examine everything he has said and any improvement that can come from any of the suggestions he has made, will be effected.
Might I ask the Minister to have a look in particular at what I understand to be the main difficulties so far as the population of this city is concerned and that is the inadequacy of the staff?
I am satisfied that the service we are getting from our staff is far better this summer than it was in former summer seasons.
The Minister misunderstands me. It is the inadequacy of the numbers, not the inadequacy of the staff. There are not enough to do the job. In other words, the staff are overworked.
I do not accept that statement of the Deputy's.
I would ask the Minister to have a wee look at this as well as at the other things.
I will have a look at it.
