(Dublin Central) asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of applicants for telephones on the waiting list at the end of August 1975; and the comparable figure for the same date in 1974.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Service.
17.
The numbers were about 42,000 and 39,000 respectively.
Does that mean that it has been established that the waiting list for the 12-month period increased by 3,000?
The waiting list which, unfortunately, has been increasing for a considerable number of years has continued to increase but the rate of increase has been decreasing.
18.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the reason for the long delay in installing new telephones; and the steps he is taking to deal with the large backlog of orders.
The answer to the first part of the question is, basically, that for many years the demand for new telephones has exceeded the resources of capital and skilled staff available to supply them promptly.
The steps I have been taking to deal with the situation are mainly to ensure a far greater capital inflow than in the past, and thereby to step up the connection rate.
Are there any projections as to what will be the demand in coming years and is there provision to meet such a demand?
The Deputy is aware of the provision under the Television Capital Act of £175,000 during five years. That rate of capital commitment is being maintained and will continue to be maintained.
Would the Minister indicate to what degree telephone connections have been speeded up in relation, in particular, to the current year?
Certainly. The following are the figures for telephone connections from 1970 up to the present: in 1970, 22,800; in 1971, 21,100; in 1972, 24,000; in 1973, 28,700; in 1974, 31,600 and, in 1975 to date, 31,600. There has been a steady rise since the change of Government. A comparison between this year and last year shows the monthly connection rate in 1974 was 2,500 and in 1975 it is 2,940.
Approximately what length of time elapses between the installation of capital equipment and the consequent increase in connections arising from that?
I think about 2½ years. What would the Deputy think?
I do not know. I am asking the Minister. If that is the interval from the date of the installation of the capital equipment, I presume the Minister will agree that there is a much longer interval from the date of ordering and paying for the connection. If that is so, the Minister must agree that any increase which occurred in the last few years must arise from what was done before he became Minister.
If we are both going to be absolutely fair about this, as I think we would wish to be, then the credit or discredit for the condition of the telephone service has to be distributed between the two Governments. We say we inherited a grossly under-capitalised telephone system and we have been trying to catch up. To be fair, it is also true that in the period immediately preceding the change the last Government were making an effort to compensate for the under-capitalisation of which they had been guilty and the effects of which are shown in the actual fallback in the number of connections in 1971.
But any increases in connections to date are not due to capital investment under the present Government.
They are beginning to be due to that. I think we can claim credit for the marked increase over the past year.
Has the Minister any idea of the number of new installations in each of the coming five years? Did the capital programme provide for a particular number?
The capital programme provided for the provision of capital and equipment. Rather than prognosticate what will happen, I would prefer to draw attention to the fact that the rate of connection is going up and I have reason to believe that will continue.
Would the Minister ask his Department to provide some figures as to what they anticipate new connections will be in the next four years because only then will we know exactly whether or not the demand can be met?
Can the Minister give any indication when the backlog will be cleared? Will it be five years?
There has been, as Deputies are aware, a backlog for a very considerable time. As I indicated, the gap is narrowing and, while the waiting list continues to grow, the rate of increase is flattening out.
Has there been some directive issued to the engineering section of the Department that, in the effort to increase the rate—the Minister mentioned 2,700 a month——
2,940.
The figure the Minister gave a moment ago for 1974 was 2,500.
And, for 1975, it was 2,900.
I took it down as 2,700.
2,940.
In an effort to maintain or improve that figure is the Minister not succumbing to the temptation to link up in areas in which it is convenient to do so when, at the other end, there is the situation in which a man in a rural area is left three, four or five years waiting because of the capital expenditure involved? This is militating against the rural dweller.
Unfortunately, in a sense, the isolated rural dweller has always been discriminated against by virtue of his isolation. I did not create that situation. If the Deputy wishes to find fault with me for installing too many telephones, I am quite prepared to take the blame.
The Minister mentioned——
We really must get on with Questions.
The Minister mentioned the word "isolation" and, when one mentions isolation, one way of resolving that isolation is by installing telephones.
That is not a question.
Does the Minister not think it desperately unfair to leave people waiting four, five and six years for a telephone when installations are given at closer quarters in order to be able to quote figures here rather than meet requirements?
My Department are anxious to meet the demand wherever it exists and they certainly hold the balance evenly between all classes of persons desiring telephones. A priority system has to be applied. That was worked out under my predecessors. It is still being applied by the Department and I do not think any injustice is being caused.
19.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when it is proposed to improve the unsatisfactory phone service in Ballina, County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Measures to improve the service at Ballina have been carried out and others are in progress. The number of switchboards in service has recently been increased substantially and more are at present being installed. As a result, the capacity of the exchange will shortly be some 50 per cent greater than it was earlier this year. Extra trunk circuits were also provided recently and more will be provided next year. The manual exchange is due to be converted to automatic working in 1977.
20.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when STD facilities will be available in Ballybay, Castleblayney, Clones and Monaghan.
Automatic service including STD facilities are expected to be made available in Monaghan within six months. It is not possible to give a reliable estimate for provision of these facilities at the other centres mentioned. Considerable difficulty has been experienced in acquiring suitable sites for the new exchange buildings and at this stage conversion to automatic service in less than four years is unlikely.
21.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when a telephone kiosk will be erected at Meelick, Swinford, County Mayo.
Kiosks are not being provided in rural areas such as Meelick, Swinford, where there is no post office.
22.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when a telephone will be changed for a person (name supplied) at Kilkelly Road, Swinford, County Mayo.
23.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when a telephone will be changed for a person (name supplied) at Dublin Road, Swinford, County Mayo.
I propose with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 22 and 23 together.
The answer is within the next two months in both cases.
24.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when a telephone will be installed for a person (name supplied) at Ballina, County Mayo.
Before the end of January, 1976.
25.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when extra switchboards will be installed at the telephone exchange in Swinford, County Mayo.
26.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the long delay in the installation of telephones in the Swinford area, County Mayo; and the steps he intends to take to remedy the situation.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 26 together. Additional accommodation is required at Swinford exchange to enable extra switchboards to be installed and extra telephones to be provided for waiting applicants. There are at present difficulties, which I hope can be resolved without undue delay, in the way of providing the extra accommodation. When they are settled the work of installing the switchboards and clearing waiting applications will be undertaken as early as possible.
27.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when the automatic exchange at Ballina, County Mayo, will be taken over by his Department and put into operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
It is expected that the automatic exchange on order for Ballina will be taken over from the contractor on completion of installation work by summer, 1977, and brought into operation after testing in late 1977.
28.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when Millstreet and Kanturk telephone exchanges, County Cork, will be made automatic.
I am not in a position to give close estimates at this stage. On the basis of estimates from the Commissioners of Public Works for the erection of the exchange buildings, the changeover to automatic working in both areas may be expected in 1979.
29.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when a telephone will be installed for a person (name supplied) in County Mayo.
Within a month.
30.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will arrange to have a telephone kiosk provided to serve the needs of the people living in Father O'Connor Crescent and St. Fintan's Terrace, Mountrath, County Laois.
Neither of the two existing kiosks in Mountrath is being used sufficiently to warrant provision of a further kiosk in the area.
Has the Minister had a unanimously agreed application from Laois County Cuncil seeking the provision of a kiosk there? Is the Minister aware that those two housing schemes are comparatively recent developments? They are removed from the existing kiosk in Mountrath. In view of the fact that they are new housing schemes, would the Minister consider providing this facility?
I understand that there are two kiosks in Mountrath. The nearest one in the Market Square is about half a mile from the centre of the Father O'Connor Crescent—St. Fintan's Terrace area. As I have said, in urban areas kiosks are provided only where they are likely to pay their way, or by way of relief for existing heavily used kiosks. Neither of these conditions would be satisfied in the Father O'Connor Crescent-St. Fintan's Terrace area as the number of houses would not be sufficient to support a kiosk. It would need to be of the order of 200 to 300 untelephoned houses. The nearest kiosk at the Market Square is not used to an extent which would warrant provision of an additional kiosk in the area. Creditable revenue for the year ended 30th June was £400. It would need to have been £600 before the question of providing an extra kiosk would be due for consideration. Receipts at the second kiosk are even lower. The Deputy will understand the need for the preservation of rather strict priorities in these matters. A kiosk is obtainable if the revenue is above a certain point and not below it. That is the rule which has to be kept.
I accept the Minister's last statement, but I was rather shocked when I heard him say the revenue from the kiosk in the Market Square in Mountrath was £400 during the last accounting year. From a circular which the Minister issued to the local authority representatives less than 12 months ago, my understanding was that, in order to pay its way, a kiosk should be able to attract business to the extent of £180. The figure of £400, as I see it——
A question please. I am awaiting a question.
Surely revenue of £400 is sufficient to justify another kiosk?
No. It would need to be £600, not £180. If the local authority are prepared to guarantee a kiosk that is another matter.
Is the Minister suggesting it is the ratepayers who should now provide telephone kiosks where formerly the Department of Posts and Telegraphs accepted that responsibility? It was a State service. Now apparently it is to be a service for which the ratepayers will have to pay, as well as everything else.
I think the answer to that is in the figure of kiosks provided. In 1971-72, it was 154, in 1972-73 it was 199 and in 1973-74 it was 205. As the Deputy is interested in the provision of rural facilities, that figure has also gone up from 116 in 1971 to 166 in 1973-74.
31.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of applications for telephones in County Mayo in each of the 12 months periods ending on the 30th September in 1973, 1974 and 1975.
32.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the average length of time from the date of receipt of applications for telephones in County Mayo to the date of installation.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 32 together.
The numbers of applications made in the periods mentioned were about 600, 800 and 650 respectively.
Figures of average times from application to installation are not available on a county basis. However, there is no reason to believe that the average sought is substantially different from the national average of approximately 12 months which I gave to the Deputy earlier in the year in reply to a previous question.
I am astonished to hear that the national average is approximately 12 months. In my area it is five years. If 12 months is the national average, in the west we must be getting a very bad deal. As the Minister is aware, he gets quite a number of letters from me about telephones which were applied for anything up to five years ago.
We have to have a question.
I am asking a question.
I am anxious to facilitate the Deputy.
There are two points involved. The demand has increased considerably for telephones in County Mayo. The connection rate, I am happy to say, has also increased from 379 in 1972 to 639 in 1975. The best we can do for County Mayo, as for other areas, is to try to step up the connection rate and, at the same time, improve the service. That is what we are trying to do in County Mayo and elsewhere.
I know the Minister is correct in saying the applications have increased. Does he agree that the national average has no relation to the average in the West?
We are having a statement from the Deputy.
People have had to wait for five years for a telephone.
In regard to a figure of 12 months for the national average, could the Minister indicate the date of the commencement of the period over which that average was calculated? In other words, is that the average for the year ending 31st March, 1975, or is it an average over ten years, or five years, or what period?
We are getting away from what is a local problem to a national issue.
It is a very relevant question.
It deals with County Mayo and nothing else.
It certainly applies from the beginning of 1974 to date. If the Deputy wants particulars for earlier years, I will be glad to supply them.
Does the Minister agree that Mayo is falling behind the rest of the country in relation to the number of installations because there were 309 in a year in which there were 600 applications? The installations are falling far short of the applications. Is there not a greater build up of this fall back in Mayo than anywhere else? Is the fact that there was a fall off in applications of over 100 in 1975 a clear message to the Minister that people are frustrated and are not applying for telephones because they have no hope of getting them?
I do not think that would be warranted. As I have stated, my Department inform me there is nothing to indicate that the figure for County Mayo would be substantially different from the national average. I can quite understand why the Deputy might wish to suggest differently.
There is a fall off in applications.
Question No. 33.
33.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will consider designating the new telephone exchange in Ballina, County Mayo as auto-manual; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
It is not intended to designate the new telephone exchange at Ballina as auto-manual. In the automatic system a small number of such centres will suffice for the whole country. The auto-manual centre for virtually all exchanges in County Mayo including Ballina will be located at Castlebar where installation of the auto-manual exchange equipment has begun. The existing manual exchange at Ballina will be retained for some years on a reduced scale to handle some of the traffic from the smaller exchanges in the Ballina area until they are converted to automatic working.
34.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the serious problems in County Donegal created by lack of a direct telephone dialling system; and if so, if he will ensure that the installation of a direct dialling system will be expediated, in view of the fact that this is the largest area in this country without such facilities.
The answer to the first part of the question is yes. Current plans provide for the conversion to automatic working of 29 manual telephone exchanges in County Donegal including all the larger ones. An auto-manual exchange building is at present in course of construction at Letterkenny. It is expected that the exchange there, which will be the major switching installation for the area, will be brought into service in about three years and that the other manual exchanges referred to will be converted over the following year or so. Meanwhile, a number of schemes are in hands to improve the manual service in the county by the provision of additional switchboards and trunk lines.
35.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will arrange for the provision of a coin-box for the telephone in Gneeveguilla post office, County Kerry.
The answer is no. There is a public kiosk with coin-box telephone outside the sub-post office. The telephone inside the counter of the sub-post office is for the transmission and receipt of telegrams and for other official purposes.
36.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he has any proposals for the improvement of telephone services in the north-west of the State so as to restore the balance of geography and provide the people of the area with a standard of service as close as possible to that enjoyed by the people of Dublin.
Yes. Various improvement schemes are in hand and proposed. These include schemes for substantial increases in trunk circuits serving the area and provision of additional switchboards at Letterkenny, Lifford, Carrick-on-Shannon, Donegal, Ballybofey and other exchanges. The programme for conversion of exchanges to automatic working provides for the conversion within the next four to five years of 29 telephone exchanges in County Donegal, ten in County Leitrim and four in County Sligo including all the larger manual exchanges.
Would the Minister agree that most of the trouble arises because of the lack of facilities at Athlone?
I will look into the point the Deputy raises.
Thank you.
37.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that telephone communications between this country and the Six Counties are very unsatisfactory; and if he will take steps to improve the situation.
During busy periods there are delays on nondialled calls between places here and in Northern Ireland because of a shortage of trunk circuits. The position should be considerably improved when the number of circuits on the main route for such calls is increased by 30 per cent within the next six months. Further substantial increases in trunk circuits expected late next year and in early 1977 should largely eliminate the delays.
Will these improvements take place on the west side of the country as well as on the east?
Mainly on the east.
Is the Minister aware that the problem exists also in Enniskillen, Sligo and the Carrick-on-Shannon area?
The main operator access to Northern Ireland is via the Dublin transit exchange. There is a group of 74 circuits Dublin/Belfast available to operators. This number is inadequate and, as a result, there are delays on calls so that, of course, the improvement on the Dublin/Belfast circuit will benefit people generally in this country.
The Minister should have a look at the other side.
Yes, we regard the number of circuits, outgoing from Letterkenny to Derry and from Lifford to Derry as inadequate and we are proceeding with plans in that direction.
In view of the reference in the Minister's reply to delays occurring on the non-dial circuits, are we to take it that he is of the view that delays do not occur in the dial circuits?
We are not to take that?
If that is not so, might I ask the Minister why he confined his reply to the non-dial circuits?
This would seem to be a separate matter.
No, Sir, it is the matter raised in the question about the delays that occur and the unsatisfactory service between here and the Six Counties.
I have no separate information on that.
38.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of applications for telephone service outstanding in postal district No. 7, Dublin; and the reason for the long delay in installation.
The number of waiting applications in the Phibsboro' exchange area—which covers most of the Dublin 7 postal district —is about 700. Progress in dealing with them is dependent mainly upon the time required to make good arrears of underground and exchange plant. About 230 of the applications are at present having attention and it is hoped to clear most of the balance over the next year.