John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for this opportunity to raise the issue of pre-recorded bilingual messages in lifts and on telephone answering systems in Leinster House and other public buildings. Before moving on to speak on the specific issue of pre-recorded bilingual messages, I am compelled to observe that the lack of any response to my letters and telephone calls over the past 22 months is disappointing.

When I first wrote to the then Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Noel Ahern, in Sept 2007, I considered that my query related to a relatively minor technical issue and not a complex policy matter with international ramifications. After several follow-up telephone calls and no response, I then wrote to the current Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Martin Mansergh, in November 2008, again without any response. A situation such as this, where a Department will not respond in a businesslike manner to a written request for information, is deeply unsatisfactory.

In the case of voice annunciators in lifts, that is to say, the voice that announces going up, down, floor numbers etc., making provision for a local person to record the bilingual annunciator messages and to have them included with new lifts being installed in State buildings, is a minor technical issue. It simply means that this requirement be included in the specification of equipment to the bidders, and then giving the selected lift supplier a tape recording of the actual messages to be used on installation. Retrofitting a locally recorded bilingual message into the annunciator unit is an equally small technical issue. For many modern lifts it is simply a matter of loading the new voice messages into the annunciator chip. This would cost in the order of €200 per chip. For older lifts it might require a new micro processor card, something smaller than the size of a 20 pack of cigarettes. I am advised that this would cost up to €1,000 per lift.

New voice chips, micro processor cards and indeed hand-held programmer units to record voice messages are available commercially. I understand that such a retrofit was carried out a few years ago in Áras Mhic Dhiarmada. A competition was held among the staff to find the best bilingual voice. They then recorded the standard messages to tape, had the annunciator chip reprogrammed and reinstalled on the three lifts. There was no problem in doing it.

Recording and retro installing bilingual voiced automated telephone greetings is even simpler than for lifts. Such message recording and installation is being done every day of the week in commercial and office premises across the country. There can be no valid reason as to why Leinster House cannot carry out the same procedure.

I ask the Minister of State to initiate a survey of lift and telephone messaging in public service buildings so as to quantify the work needed to retrofit locally recorded bilingual messages. I also ask him to ensure that the requirement for locally recorded bilingual messages is included in the specification of equipment for all future enquiries for lifts and telephone systems in the public sector.

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