asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs why the first post was not delivered in Lower Baggot Street, Dublin, until 10.20 a.m. on 30th October, 1967.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Postal Delivery.
25.
The immediate cause of the abnormally late delivery in Lower Baggot Street on the morning in question was the unexpected absence of two regular postmen serving this area and delay in replacing them. I regret the inconvenience caused. The times of delivery in the Dublin 2 district generally have been improving and they will, I hope, soon be normal throughout the area.
Is the Minister aware that this is happening all over the central city area? I have a letter in my hand in which the writer says that the post did not arrive—this was in Kildare Street—until 10.5 a.m. on the morning of 3rd November and his office and all the offices open about 9 o'clock.
The Parliamentary Secretary gave a full explanation arising from the opening of the new Sorting Office and the fact that the machinery has to work efficiently. Generally, there are teething troubles, the need for retraining staff and acquiring new staff. He gave a full explanation about this and I am glad to say that the position has improved. With the exception of the Dublin No. 2 Area, and to a lesser extent the No. 1 Area, I understand the arrival of post is adequate. We have now, to some degree, completed the retraining of postmen in sorting duties and some more postmen have been recruited. The position will steadily improve.
Have we the Minister's assurance that it will improve in these areas? If so, it would be to the advantage of all of us if that were given wide publicity, that in fact we may be passing through a temporary period in which there are delays. The public think that a situation has arisen in which they are never going to get post earlier than 10 o'clock, or between 10 and 10.30 a.m.
I hope the public will pay attention to what the Parliamentary Secretary says and what I have repeated.
What use is there in the Minister giving an assurance when on the very day that I got a positive assurance that it would not happen again, the post was late again?
There was a breakdown and steps were taken to improve the position.