asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if, having regard to the fact that the increased postal charges will necessitate an even greater amount of pennies to purchase postage stamps through stamp machines, he will now provide without delay vending machines at all post offices for the sale of books of stamps.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Stamp Vending Machines.
70.
Mr. Ryan
It is not proposed to provide machines of the kind referred to at all post offices. Some such machines will be provided when a type suitable for our particular requirements has been selected.
Mr. Ryan
Arising from the Minister's reply and in view of the fact that he has given a similar answer in the past, would the Minister make an effort to see that these machines are supplied without further delay? It is a lot easier to find a half-a-crown to purchase some postage stamps than to find 10d. at a late hour at night when business places are closed. It is becoming next to impossible to purchase two postage stamps when you require 10d. to purchase them.
It is good to know that halfcrowns are becoming more plentiful——
Mr. Ryan
That is due to depreciation in the value of money.
——and that people can have more halfcrowns than pennies.
Pennies will disappear altogether. They are worth nothing at all.
Mr. Ryan
Will the Minister state what is the difficulty in providing these machines, as he said, for our own purposes? What is the difference between the purposes here and the purposes less than 100 miles away from Dublin? These machines are available all over Northern Ireland. What is the difficulty in providing similar machines here?
We do not make the machines ourselves. Tenders for these machines were invited in May last. The information obtained was not sufficient to enable a selection to be made and it has been necessary to seek clarification on technical points. When all that business has been completed, we shall get the machines.
Mr. Ryan
May we take it the increased efficiency the Minister is promising to bring into the Post Office will now be applied to the simple matter of installing a few slot machines in post offices?
The Deputy may take it the Post Office is much more efficient than when the Deputy's Party were in government.
Mr. Ryan
That is a very high standard.