asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will consider establishing a sub-post office in Leconnell, Ardara, County Donegal, which would serve six townlands with a population of about 170.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sub-Post Offices for Donegal and Cork.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will consider establishing sub-post offices at (a) Clogagh, Timoleague, (b) Ahiohill, Enniskean, and (c) Cloghroe, Blarney, County Cork.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 40 together.
The establishment of a sub-post office at Cloghroe would not be warranted because of its proximity to an existing office at Inniscarra. At the remaining centres mentioned by the Deputies the amount of business likely to be transacted would not justify the cost of establishing and maintaining sub-post offices.
I take this opportunity of explaining to Deputies generally that, owing to the necessity for keeping down expenditure on public services and because of the deficit on which the postal service is being operated, no new sub-post offices are being opened except in areas where the population has significantly increased and their provision would be economic in relation to the volume of business offering.
Is the Minister aware that in the area of Cloghroe, Blarney, owing to work on the Lee hydroelectric scheme on which a large number of workers are employed great difficulties are experienced because of the lack of postal facilities in Cloghroe?
The distance from Inniscarra to Cloghroe is only one and a quarter miles. There is no undue hardship caused by the absence of a post office in the particular area.