asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state (a) the date on which a decision was made to acquire a new Dublin sorting office; (b) whether, at this moment, a site has been agreed on; (c) when it is expected to have the acquisition of such site completed; (d) if any plans exist for the reconstruction of the proposed site, and if he can state, in connection with these plans, the approximate number of workers, skilled and unskilled, who will be employed on the work, and the duration of the work to completion.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Sorting Office.
A new central sorting office for Dublin has long been recognised as desirable and various proposals for providing it on an existing departmental site have been under examination from time to time during the last 20 years. Due to growth of postal traffic it became clearin 1949 that none of these proposals offered a satisfactory solution and that some new site would be necessary. A suitable clear site has been agreed on and the legal formalities in connection with its transfer to my Department will, I expect, be completed within a matter of weeks. Building plans have not yet been decided upon and no estimate can yet be made of the number of workers to be employed or of the duration of the work.
I am particularly anxious to know the date on which this site was agreed upon.
I am afraid that I am not in a position to give the Deputy any more information than to say that a suitable site has been agreed upon and that the normal formalities are continuing.
For the past 20 years— and, in particular, during the past five years—this reply has consistently been given. I cannot be informed at this moment whether, in fact, a site has been agreed upon.
A lot of changes have taken place in 20 years.
Deputies
Hear, hear!
As a result of these changes, none of the sites which, during the course of these 20 years, were thought to be suitable, was, in fact, at this stage, found to be suitable. As a result, a new site has now been acquired.