asked the Minister for Communications in view of the abolition of the Telecommunications Service Users Council, if he envisages any independent monitoring of the quality of service provided to consumers.
8.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telecommunications Service Monitoring.
6.
asked the Minister for Communications the reason no members have been appointed to either the Postal Service Users Council or the Telecommunications Service Users Council in the light of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act, 1983; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 8 together. The Government, as part of their on-going review of public expenditure, decided to disband the two councils with effect from 4 July, 1987. The question of making further appointments to the councils does not, therefore, arise. Legislation to give effect to the decision has already been passed by Seanad Éireann and the Bill is on the Dáil Order Paper awaiting Second Stage.
My Department have, of course, a general responsibility to ensure that An Post and Telecom Eireann provide satisfactory services to the public and the Department will continue to discharge this function. I have met the boards of the two companies and have emphasised the need for them both to have an increased awareness of the quality of service being provided to their customers and to be particularly vigilant and responsive to complaints. In addition, I will be meeting the boards of the companies again from time to time to review their performance and I will be paying particular attention to the quality of service they provide.
Will the Minister tell the House what specific performance indicators he will be giving to Telecom Éireann against which he will judge their performance? Does the Minister envisage that there will be any independent monitoring of such contentious items as the effectiveness of metering and the reported call failure rate?
The effective monitoring is in the Department. As to what monitoring will be done on the day to day performance, the question is one of the commercial service being provided for the customers concerned. I will be keeping a close eye on the matter but the only bench mark I would have is that they would satisfy the legitimate demands of their customers.
Has the Minister any specific performance indicators such as those suggested by the National Planning Board in dealing with a semi-State body like Telecom, which would give specific quality of service indicators, and would the Minister tell the House what they will be so that we can see the record being achieved by Telecom?
The record being achieved by Telecom will be the level of service. There is no specific bench mark other than the total satisfaction of the customers of the commercial semi-State bodies in dealing with their customers.
Did the Minister say that he intends to amend the Post and Telecommunications Act to enable him to abolish these councils?
No. Legislation is before the House at the moment. It has been passed by the Seanad and was sponsored by my colleague, the Minister for Industry and Commerce. It comes under the Restrictive Practices (Amendment) Bill of 1987. It is there that the abolition of these two councils is included.
My reading of the Post and Telecommunications Act is that the Minister is obliged to establish these councils or to appoint 20 members to them. Does the Minister accept that it is necessary to amend that Act before he can abolish these councils?
The decision has already been taken. The legislation giving effect to that decision has, already been passed by the Seanad. It is now on the Order Paper of the Dáil and the Deputy will have an opportunity to discuss it when it comes up.
In view of that decision and the apparent decision to refer complaints made to the council to the Ombudsman's Office and because of the fact that the numbers employed by the Ombudsman's office have been reduced——
That is a separate question.
I am asking what arrangements are made to ensure that the Ombudsman's office——
If the Deputy wishes to put down a question with regard to the Ombudsman he can do so.
——can cope with the complaints. It is a valid question arising from the abolition of the users councils.
The operations of the Ombudsman's office are the responsibility of the Minister for Finance and I suggest a question to the Minister for Finance.
Surely the Minister is aware that——
Deputy De Rossa has had a fair innings. I want to go back to Deputy Bruton for a final question.
The final question is that the Minister must be aware that the Ombudsman's office——
I have ruled that matter out of order.
It will not be possible to deal with the complaints.
A final question from Deputy Richard Bruton, please.
Will the Minister clarify his answer regarding independent monitoring of items such as metering performance and call failure rates? Is the Minister saying that his Department conduct such independent monitors of the information provided by Telecom?
Yes.
Does the Minister think that it is reasonable that the national radio and television service should be used over an extensive period to promote emigration?
That seems to be a separate question. These questions relate to Telecom Éireann and to An Post.
Bord Telecom have an input into Teilfís Éireann do they not? Does the Minister, in his capacity as Minister for Communications, think that it is reasonable that RTE should be used to promote emigration?
That seems to be a separate matter.
It appears to be a separate matter, and having had four years experience of the former Ceann Comhairle referring me to separate matters, I am taking the opportunity to do the same.
Perhaps the Minister's reluctance to deal with this is promoted by the utterances of the Minister for Foreign Affairs——
That is totally unfair.
——and perhaps the promotion of emigration has now become Government policy.
I am just trying to keep to the order of the House, as Deputy Fitzpatrick told me to do on many occasions.