Last night I welcomed the large sum of money, £350 million, which is mentioned in the Bill. There is a danger in this, because of past history, that when people read about the vast amount of money which it is proposed to spend they will think they are getting their telephones immediately. We know that this is not possible. I remember about two years ago when a new telephone exchange was erected in my area there was a lot of publicity about it. The people in the area thought that there would be no more waiting for telephones but we still have a long waiting list.
I know the Minister and his Department are concerned about satisfying the demand for telephones. Would it be possible for the Department to tell people who apply for telephones that they can expect to have one in six months or that they may have to wait for six years? Could the Department decide that particular applications would be satisfied in a certain length of time? Perhaps the Minister might consider having a system of priorities where an application would be vetted, put into a certain category and given a certain priority. While the shortage lasts, we must decide on a list of priorities in order to be fair and just to all the applicants.
I imagine that certain priorities are laid down in the Department but in our ever-changing society we find that the telephone is assuming a new role. It was invented to help commerce and industry. Many years ago it was a status symbol to have a telephone but that is no longer the case. A telephone is the lifeline for elderly people and many others who live alone particularly in isolated areas. It means a lot to them to be able to ring their friends or relations, the clergy or even the gardaí when necessary. We have many people competing against them who require telephones for business reasons. We can also understand their anxiety for telephones. I am sure most Deputies get letters from firms in their areas complaining because of the lack of an adequate telephone service or extra lines and we are told that this hampers their efforts at expansion.
I believe that a points system would be of great value in deciding which applicants for telephones should get them first. This could be worked on similar lines to the points given to applicants for houses. An applicant for a telephone could be given points for the location of his house if it is in an isolated area, if the person is living alone and also if it will help to combat crime. The Government are helping people to pay their rent and encouraging them to use telephones. The place where a person lives can have a big bearing on this matter because there may be cables in the area which are fully utilised. The question arises then whether new cables should be added to provide telephones for people. There could be a points system for private users and one for industrial and business users. The business people could make the case that if they get more phones in they can increase their labour force. They could even make the case that they require the telephones to increase their sales or even to maintain their present sales.
The Minister will have no trouble in spending the money although from time to time we may have different views on who should be given priority. The Minister told us yesterday that the telephone is the most important communication link in the world today. We know that a hot line exists in telephone communication between certain capitals. While I agree that the Defence Forces or the Garda should get priority, the telephone may be the hot line between an old person living alone to the Garda, which may even mean survival for that person.
I hope that the money will be spent in the best way possible and as quickly as possible. People write to Deputies every day of the week about the installation of telephones. When we send the request to the Department we receive replies which we pass on to those people. They go on hoping that they will eventually get their telephones. It is important that we intensify our efforts to provide more telephones and that the Department use the most up to date installation methods. We can learn a lot from the Continent where they have a greater number of telephones than we have. This is understandable because they were industrialised long before we were. The economy in Sweden is in a very good state at the moment. One of their main industries is the manufacture of telephone instruments. They may have certain raw materials which they can use in their manufacture.
We should try to find out how much of our equipment could be manufactured here because £350 million is quite a large sum, even in these days of inflation. We may have to import the vast bulk of the equipment but there are firms here in that line who could expand if they were approached by the Department. Every effort should be made to ensure that any part of this equipment which could be produced here will be used. That would serve our drive towards greater employment and a more efficient telephone service. We all know that even though we drive on at an increased rate there will still be a long waiting list for telephones. The population is growing and the economy is becoming more prosperous and the demand for telephones will increase. We must carry on with the provision of telephones until some other type of communication is developed. I do not see any sign of that at the moment. However, we should examine the methods being used on the Continent and try to apply them here.
In neighbourhoods where telephones are scarce the Minister should consider an intensification of the drive to provide more public kiosks. In the newer suburbs there may not be many private telephones and it would be beneficial if people who are awaiting private installations could have access to public telephone kiosks. Progress has been made on the provision of these kiosks but in some cases they have been smashed by vandals. In this city we hear recurring reports of crime and violence but in my opinion this is tapering off. Following much agitation a public kiosk was erected in my own area. I asked people if we could join in keeping an eye on it so that it would not be damaged. I am pleased to say that up to this week it has not been damaged in any way and it has been there for over a year. This service is very much appreciated by the people and is very well patronised.
One may question the policy that a kiosk should pay for itself. One can understand that in the days of colossal losses there was a desire to recoup as much as possible. A telephone kiosk gives a great return in the social sense, even if it does not give a return in actual cash. Anything that makes for better living is a social instrument and the telephone may certainly be regarded as such, especially for people living alone who may be confined to their homes.
The opinion was voiced some years ago that the telephone service should be run by private enterprise. While I am a private enterprise man, I do not think this would be acceptable to private enterprise at the moment. Five years ago it would have been acceptable because at that time the service was making a profit. The fact that it does not do so now is due to many reasons but I am not too worried about that aspect. We are living in times of economic stress. Methods may be used now which would not have been necessary in the palmy days of the sixties.
The Government have recognised that the people are clamouring for telephones. I am sure that if people were told they would have to pay more tax for telephones they would not kick very much against it. The service is not adequate but we are providing more money for its extension. If one tries ringing a number in the city from this House between 3.30 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. one meets with complete chaos on the line. That happens almost every afternoon. The staff are very courteous and they do try to help but one can feel one's blood pressure rising. The service has been examined by organisation and methods experts and they have improved matters but it is still not satisfactory. One could argue that the demand for more telephones is a healthy sign that the economy is alive and vibrant and an air of expansion prevails. This is true but even when this Bill becomes law it will not improve matters to the extent that it will wipe out the waiting list for telephones.
I welcome the Minister's statement that the proposed expansion will create 7,000 extra jobs. This is good news as most of these jobs will be of a skilled and semi-skilled nature. It is not the Minister's main duty to provide employment but we should try to provide a scheme for the training of young people in telecommunications. While old crafts may die the telephone service will go on for many years. The technical advances being made in telecommunications should ensure a rewarding future for any young person entering this field. In their anxiety to provide employment I have no doubt that the Government consider each Department. Apart from the investment aspect, the public will consider that the Government are enlightened in providing money for the telephone service and the employment of young people. As well as that the Minister should consider training more young people in telecommunications. This training will prepare them for future employment in the Department and elsewhere. There are many companies engaged in the installation of internal telephone systems.
The Department should ask the universities to become involved in this expansion programme. Our universities have reputable schools of engineering and we could draw on their knowledge in order to expand the programme. It would be self-defeating to employ people for the sake of employing them. Therefore, we should not omit any source of help such as the university engineering schools and the larger private engineering firms. This is a great opportunity and I know that the Minister will use it to fulfil the demands made on the Department. This is an opportunity to bring our telephone service up to the standard that exists in Europe but it will call for more investment. This Bill provides for £350 million and I hope the Government will have no difficulty in finding that amount. We have borrowed from outside sources and we can do so again because a good return on borrowed money can always be defended. We cannot meet all our requirements from internal sources.
I wish the Minister success in his efforts. We are moving into an age of satellite stations which will bring constant change. It will be a time of great challenge for our engineers and craftsmen but it will be an exciting time. I support this Bill.