asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the average cost of providing a public telephone kiosk (a) in an urban area, and (b) in a rural area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Kiosk Costs.
54.
The average capital cost of providing a public telephone kiosk is about £800. There is hardly any difference between urban and rural costs, except where very long linework may be involved.
Surely £800 is not an exorbitant cost and, since it is not, would the Minister consider providing telephone kiosks in rural areas?
The Deputy may not consider the cost exorbitant, but there is more involved than providing the money. There is also manpower, the acquisition of sites and a number of other things, quite apart from the money, involved in erecting kiosks. I understand there is also a considerable waiting list.
Quite recently a circular was sent to local councils by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and the main reason given for not providing kiosks was that the costs were too high. The figure given here now is not a very high cost.
The Deputy is not comparing like with like. Obviously on an investment by the Department in public telephone kiosks they would need to have a certain minimum level of income to justify the investment involved and, if the income is lower than the required minimum, they ask the local county council to guarantee them against any loss.
Many areas need kiosks and surely the Minister is not going to say that £800 is too high a figure to provide this amenity?
No. The Department are quite willing to provide kiosks but where they reckon the income will not be sufficient they ask the local county council to guarantee the difference between the minimum and what the kiosk may earn.
Might I ask the Minister whether in particularly large urban areas, such as Dublin, the income from many of the public kiosks is adequate and sufficient to meet the cost of restoring those which are destroyed daily, weekly and monthly by vandals?
That is a separate question.
It is not. It is a very relevant question. The income would not cover the vandalism wreaked on some of the kiosks.