andMr. O'Toole asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs why his Department are requiring business radio owners to phase out the employment of 50 KHZ channel spacing equipment; and if he is aware of the very large cost imposed on owners, such as doctors and veterinary surgeons, who are performing a vital service to the community.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Business Radios.
21.
(Dublin South-Central): The change is being made in the interests of efficient use of the limited radio frequency spectrum space available for business radio purposes and thus to enable as many business radio users as possible to be accommodated. No new licences for business radio equipment using 50 Kilohertz channel spacing have been issued since 1966. 50 Kilohertz equipment is wasteful of radio frequency spectrum space because it employs a wider channel spacing that is used by modern equipment. It was accordingly decided in 1976 that the equipment would not be licensed after April 1978. Licensees were given two years' notice of the change.
The costs involved for licensees should be considered in the light of the length of time the obsolete equipment has been in use, the need to conserve frequency spectrum space and the period of notice given.
Is it not true when those people purchased this equipment, which is still for all other purposes perfectly useful, that they did so in good faith and without any indication that the equipment would become the subject of a prohibition on the part of the Department and that in view of that there is a strong case, if the Department feel as they apparently do about the matter, for compensation to be given to the people who now have equipment which they bought for good money which is now worth no money and which has to be replaced at very substantial cost?
(Dublin South-Central): As the Deputy will appreciate, a considerable amount of this equipment is obsolete and has been 12 years in use. In the recent survey carried out many of these people were asked to submit exactly what the position was regarding their equipment. They were asked about three months ago and 70 replied; 67 stated they had replaced their equipment or intended to replace it at that particular time. Evidently it is not as serious as the Deputy thinks.
What does the Minister mean when he says the equipment is obsolete.
(Dublin South-Central): A lot of this equipment is 12 years in use.
Is the Minister saying that because it is old it is obsolete? How is it obsolete?
(Dublin South-Central): It would be very obsolete by the standards of radio equipment which is available today. I am sure the Deputy appreciates the difficulties of using the 50 Kilohertz equipment and that it would be impossible to grant licences to other people who required this type of equipment. It is for that reason that they are being withdrawn.