Vol. 193 No. 2
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of hours per week allotted respectively in the years 1960 and 1962 to the following matters at the General Post Office, Cork: the sale of stamps, sale of postal orders, issue of dog licences, etc., money orders, pensions, generally and savings bank business generally.
89.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if, as a result of investigations by two survey officers, the staff at the General Post Office in Cork was reduced; if so, what was the number of staff involved in the said reduction, and the date from which such reduction operated.
90.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that the abolition of a special counter to deal with the payment of widows and orphans and old age and other pensions and children's allowances has resulted in loss of time and hardship upon those who attend the General Post Office in Cork for the purposes connected therewith; and, if so, if he will take steps to remedy this unsatisfactory position.
91.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if there have been relatively recent reductions in the counter staff at the G.P.O. in Cork; if this has resulted in hardship to the public, especially at the pension, savings bank and stamp counters; and, if so, what action he proposes to take to remedy the position.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to answer Questions Nos. 88, 89, 90 and 91 together.
On 24th October, 1960 the counter staffing at Cork G.P.O. was reduced by the equivalent of one Post Office Clerk post. From the same date, and subsequently, various adjustments in the clerical and sorting force were made which affected a net reduction of two in the staff allocated to non-counter work.
The present weekly number and the figure prior to the revision in 1960 of staff hours allotted to stamp, money and postal order, savings, licence and social welfare transactions at the counter are 375 and 410 respectively.
Special staff provision for social welfare transactions has not been abolished. It operates on the days when the payments fall due.
The revised counter service arrangements have been kept under review since they were introduced 15 months ago and are operating satisfactorily. There is no undue delay in attending to customers and I cannot agree that hardship is being occasioned.
