asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that in the case of scale of pay post offices, postmasters and postmistresses work long hours and assume very great responsibilities and that their salaries are totally inadequate; and whether in these circumstances he will take steps to have the scale of remuneration in these cases revised so as to provide for these people a proper standard of living.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sub-Postmasters' Salaries.
Sub-postmasters' remuneration was considerably improved in 1946 by a revaluation of the basis of computing their salaries and, in common with other State employees, they obtained further benefit by the consolidation of salaries in the same year.
Sub-postmasters are not expected to depend solely on the post office for their whole livelihood and in practice are not so dependent as the majority engage in business of some kind.
The salary revisions referred to have provided sub-postmasters with remuneration reasonably commensurate with their hours of attendance and responsibilities and, in the circumstances, I am not prepared to consider a further revision of scales.