asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state what steps he proposes to take to provide the long overdue extension of the Waterford Post Office; and when it is likely that additional accommodation will be provided.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Waterford Post Office.
The necessary sites for this scheme have been acquired and the first stage consists of the erection of a new telephone and engineering block, which is the most urgent requirement, to be followed by further extensions providing greatly enlarged postal accommodation.
Working drawings of the new telephone wing have been completed and preliminary drawings of the postal requirements have been prepared. Certain preparatory demolition works have been undertaken and other preliminary site works are in hands.
I regret that I am unable to name a date for completion as conditions in the building industry at present render it impossible to predict the course of operations with any degree of assurance.
In view of the deplorably overcrowded condition of this office and the muddling and messing that have gone on for a number of years with regard to extending it, would the Minister arrange personally to visit the office and take some personal interest in expediting the arrangements for its reconstruction and extension? Otherwise, this problem will be with us for another 15 years, as it has been for the past 15 years.
I can assure the Deputy that at a very early stage I took a very great interest in the idea of acquiring these sites. "Muddling" and "messing" are not proper descriptions of what has been done here.
Is it worse than that?
It was a very difficult situation to deal with, as the Deputy would know if he had visited the premises. The position now is that we are getting on quite satisfactorily, but when we will be able to finish the work depends on the position of the building industry.
Would the Minister kindly tell me what he means by "getting on satisfactorily", seeing that the volume of work in the office is increasing from month to month and year to year, and that there is no additional accommodation available and that all the inspection and planning has resulted in a situation in which the present accommodation is grossly inadequate for the volume of work to be dealt with? If the Minister does not know that, every one of his supervising officers in Waterford will tell him that that is the position.
I know exactly what the position is, but I can assure the Deputy that we have done the best we can.