asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that as a result of the close-down of the sub-postoffice in Glendowan, County Donegal, approximately 30 pensioners have to travel eight miles to Churchhill to collect their pensions; and if, as there is no public transport available, he will consider reopening the sub-postoffice or making alternative arrangements for these people.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Post Office Closure.
4.
Seventeen old age pensions were paid at Glendowan sub-office; these are now paid at Churchhill sub-office which is about four miles from Glendowan. It is not necessary for the pensioners to attend in person to cash their pension orders; they can appoint agents to do so and some of the pensioners in the Glendowan area have already made such arrangements.
In view of the trifling amount of post office business arising in the area, the reopening of the sub-office would not be warranted.
Would the Minister not consider that in remote parts such as Glendowan, as his colleague the Minister for Agriculture will bear out, in many cases there is but the husband and the wife living in the homestead and it is left to one of them to walk four miles to the nearest post office? Does he not consider that hardship?
This is a case where the business of the sub-office was almost negligible and we had to consider the rising cost of postal services to the public and the relationship between the basic postal charges and service and people's incomes. We also had to consider that we have greater density of post offices than almost any other country in Europe and where a post office is hardly used at all, as in this case, where postage stamp sales amounted to less than £2 per week and there were only seven other postal transactions in the week, that is regarded as a totally uneconomic venture and were we to have such post offices all over the country, the cost of the postal services would be ruinous.
I agree, and I do not wish to labour this but surely the Minister must consider more than economics? These are people you are dealing with and when you talk about people, you do not talk strictly on economics. There is the social aspect as well. These are people who have given good service to this country and who are entitled to a service. If the Minister cannot see his way to reopen the sub-office, would he not at least get someone in his office to try to devise some way to enable these people to receive their pensions instead of asking them to travel four miles on foot? Could the pension not be posted?
It is very rarely that arrangements cannot be made whereby pensioners receive their pensions. I did not say that all the post offices were uneconomic.
I did not say you did.
A great many post offices and a great part of the telephone service will continue to be social services and to be uneconomic. What I said was that there must be some limit.
(Cavan): In view of the obvious hardship which a walk of four miles imposes on old age pensioners and in view of the fact that old age pensioners may actually have to pay to get their pensions brought to them, would the Minister consider paying their pensions through the post as many other pensions and remunerations are paid?
I will get in touch with the Minister for Social Welfare in regard to this particular case to see if it is as represented by the Deputy.