asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether he will arrange to have operating instructions displayed in a number of continental languages in public telephone kiosks, particularly in tourist areas, in view of the difficulty which has been experienced by tourists who are without a knowledge of English.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Service.
14.
I am not aware of any general difficulty of the kind mentioned by the Deputy being encountered by tourists. However, the provision of multilingual coinbox notices is being considered at present in the context of the introduction of new coinboxes from which callers in automatic areas will be able to dial trunk calls. I will inform the Deputy of the outcome of my Department's examination of the matter.
Would the Minister accept that in some of these areas we are in the Ice Age as far as tourism is concerned and that in other countries the public telephone boxes, irrespective of one's ability to speak the language of the country one is in, almost always have a notice which permits one to read the operating instructions in one's own language?
Anything that can benefit the tourism industry will be given attention. I have indicated already that the examination is being carried out and when it has been carried out we will do whatever is necessary in this regard.
In my own area, which is a tourist area, this has caused some difficulty. Would the Minister accept that, in the light of the very minimal cost involved, it would be a step forward to put up such notices?
I would remind the Deputy that in his area most of the calls made by tourists would be made through an operator so there would be no necessity to put up notices in other languages. But now that this area is going automatic with the introduction of new coin boxes, I will certainly look at the matter.
Would the Minister not accept that most tourists would not know how to operate our operator assisted telephone system?
It is very easy to turn a handle. I do not think anyone would disagree with that.
15.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that residents in Cashelnagor, County Donegal, have to travel up to four miles to the nearest public telephone which is in Gortahork; and whether he will arrange for the erection of a public kiosk to serve the people of Cashelnagor.
It is planned to provide a telephone kiosk at Cashelnagor, County Donegal. It will be erected and brought into service as soon as possible after a suitable site has been selected and the necessary consents obtained.
16.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if his attention has been drawn to the deterioration in the standard of telephone service in the environs of Dublin, particularly in new housing and industrial estates; and when remedial action will be taken.
No.
17.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the continued public dissatisfaction with the state of the telephone service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I am well aware that the service at times and in some aspects may be less than satisfactory.
The basic reason for this is that the service is being called upon at times to deal with a greater volume of traffic than it is at present capable of dealing with. The importance of improving the service in the shortest time possible has been recognised by the Government in their approval last year of the five year accelerated development programme, estimated to cost £650 million at 1979 prices. Very many major development projects are in progress or in advanced planning stages and all are being pressed ahead as quickly as practicable. Improvements will come progressively over the five-year period according as individual schemes are completed, and already considerable progress has been made. It is perhaps relevant to the question of the public's dissatisfaction to say that new applications for the services this year have been higher than ever before.
Why are there such great difficulties especially in new housing estates and in new industrial estates on the outskirts of Dublin? Surely it would have been a simple matter for the service to have been laid on when the estate was being built.
In general the quality of the service is no worse than it has been. If the Deputy has a specific housing estate in mind perhaps he would give the name of it and I will have it examined. But in all the new housing estates in Dublin at the moment provision is being made for the cabling of those as they are being built.
Why is it that in these circumstances we automatically get breakdowns?
That is so in relation to certain areas where the cables are old and badly in need of repair or replacement. In those areas we are proceeding to pressurise the cable and it has worked out satisfactorily. These cables are being pressurised as part of a general pressurisation programme.
Is the Minister aware of the desperate telephone service in this House?
It has nothing to do with the question.
It has. It is an old housing estate.
The problems are throughout the service. I admit that. The network is totally incapable of the demands made on it. I have new projects coming on stream and an improvement in quality of the service will ensue.
Does the Minister accept that the service is getting worse instead of better?
No. From next year the service will be getting better.