asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will extend the emergency telephone service in County Meath to include the principal fire stations in the county.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Service.
18.
All automatic telephones in County Meath have access at present to the 999 emergency telephone service. Operator services, including the 999 service, for these telephones are provided in either Drogheda or Dublin auto-manual exchanges. Callers asking for the fire service are connected to either Drogheda or Dublin (Tara Street) fire service by the operator. These fire services act as coordinating centres and decide which local fire station should deal with the emergency.
Callers served by manual exchanges requiring emergency fire brigade services are connected to the local fire station.
The Meath County Council Fire Brigade Authority are responsible for the call-out arrangements for the fire service in the county. The present arrangements by which Drogheda and Dublin fire services act as coordinating centres for calls from automatic telephones is by agreement with this authority. My Department have not received any request for a change in these arrangements.
Did the Minister's Department get a letter from the Meath fire service last January?
I am informed that we have received no request and I have no reference here to a letter of last January. I am informed that we have received no request from the Meath fire service that this arrangement should be changed. We have been in consultation with the Department of Local Government who have confirmed that the present 999 arrangements for fire service in County Meath are the most satisfactory in existing circumstances and are operated by agreement with the county council fire brigade authority.
Is the Minister aware that on an occasion when there was a fire in Balrath and the fire service rang the 999 service the operator refused to put them through to the Navan fire brigade?
I am not so aware. The Deputy will appreciate that when the arrangements in question are regarded as satisfactory by the fire services and by the Department of Local Government and by my Department I would need convincing evidence of need for a change.
Is the Minister aware that Drogheda is actually in another county and that Navan and Trim are on a different exchange and when they cannot get a call through direct there is no use in routing them to Dublin——
The Deputy is engaging in an argument. No. 19, please.
Will the Minister do something——
If I receive any request from the Meath County Council Fire Brigade Authority in connection with this matter I shall certainly consider it carefully.
19.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will arrange for the erection of a public telephone kiosk at Clonbern, Ballinasloe, County Galway.
Not at present. The use made by the public at the call office telephone in the sub-post office at Clonbern is not sufficient to warrant provision of a kiosk there.
20.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of telephone applications in the exchange areas of Carrigaline, Ballincollig and Blarney and the Douglas area of Cork city which were submitted before 31st December, 1972, and in respect of which connections have not yet been made; and when it is hoped to have the connections made.
About 190. Of these about 70 are having attention. It is hoped that service will be provided for most of the others during the course of this year.
When the priority listings are finished what order of priority will then apply for the remaining applicants?
The order of priority which will apply to the remaining applicants depends on the date of application.
Is this date of application procedure rigidly adhered to?
So I understand.