asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he adheres to the target of the end of 1980 or early 1981 for the conversion of the telephone exchange at Kells, County Meath, to automatic working as stated in his reply to a parliamentary question on 5 December 1978.
Written Answers. - Meath Telephone Service.
341.
Unfortunately it will not be practicable to adhere to the December 1978 forecast for conversion of Kells telephone exchange to automatic working.
With the advent of digital exchange technology, the opportunity is now being taken to instal that type of equipment at Kells. It is expected that this digital exchange, which has already been ordered, will be in service in the third quarter, 1981. It is now planned to convert the other exchanges in the Kells group around the same time, also by means of digital equipment.
Conversion of Kells by means of a mobile automatic exchange had been envisaged as an interim arrangement to facilitate earlier change-over but this could not now be effected until the second quarter of 1981.
The marginal gain in time that would result would not warrant the extra cost and staff resources which will instead be devoted to the conversion of the Kells group of exchanges as a single project.