asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state the cause of the suspension of the sub-postmistress in Gowran post office subsequent to the suspension of her husband from duty in that office by the verbal order of an official of Kilkenny post office.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Suspension of Sub-Postmistress.
The ex-sub-postmistress of Gowran, Kilkenny, was suspended from duty and subsequently dismissed for serious irregularities and breaches of departmental discipline.
Does the Minister take the view that a wife should dismiss her husband from an office in his own house when there is no charge against him?
The Deputy is misinformed.
The Deputy is not misinformed. What I have said is actually the case. This woman had inspectors in her house for three days. There were inspectors and detectives examining all the books and apparently no deficiencies were found. When the inspectors were leaving they instructed the husband that he was not to attend to any business in future. The wife was prostrate after the three days' inspection and she went out to a neighbour. The next thing that happened was the phone rang because the husband had answered a phone call from Kilkenny. She was immediately suspended. The husband had not gotwritten instructions that he was not to attend the post office. He just got word verbally.
Would the Deputy turn all that into a question?
Is the Minister aware of that?
I have said that the Deputy is misinformed. The dismissals of the sub-postmaster and his wife were delayed for purely administrative reasons.
Were there any deficiencies in this case?
I have already replied to the Deputy.
You said there were irregularities.
I do not think it is in the public interest to give precise details of this case.
It is important that a person's name should be cleared in his own locality.
There has been no change in the position in regard to these matters. I said in my reply to the Deputy that the ex-sub-postmistress was suspended from duty and subsequently dismissed for serious irregularities and breaches of departmental discipline.
They are not serious.