asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that a telegram sent to a firm (name supplied) in County Dublin was handed in at Tuam post office at 11.43 a.m. with instructions to place bets on the 2.30 p.m. horse race on 4th December, 1974, and that this telegram was never delivered; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Non-Delivery of Telegram.
10.
A telegram in code, which I assume is the one referred to, was received at the local sub-post office at 12.34 p.m. on the 4th December, 1974. My Department were advised in January, 1971, that special telegraph facilities provided by the Department at the race course concerned were no longer required. The firm in question does not accept telegrams for delivery by telephone and, accordingly, telegrams to the firm have to be delivered by hand. Hand delivery in the area is done by the local sub-post office, special arrangements being made to cover the weekly Saturday half-day at that office. As is the case with all but the larger post offices, there is no regular telegram delivery staff employed at the sub-post office concerned and telegrams for the area are normally delivered by casual messenger. On the date in question the postmaster was unable to secure a casual messenger to deliver the telegram promptly and, unfortunately, it arrived too late for its purpose.
Would the Minister not consider that, in a case such as this where the post office is adjacent to one of the major race courses in the country, adequate staff should be available to deliver such telegrams? Obviously the firm in question, Tote Investors Limited, do quite an amount of their business by way of the telegram and telephone services of the Department, which are advertised as available for this and other purposes.
The race course concerned originally had special telegraph facilities and they informed my Department in January, 1971, that these facilities were no longer required.
Is the Minister stating that such services need not be available in a local post office such as Leopardstown which is adjacent to an important race course where meetings are held quite often? Would the Minister not offer some sympathy to the person who had placed this winning bet which is not now valid?
Of course, I have sympathy with the individual concerned. The circumstance was unfortunate but that is not tantamount to an admission of liability on behalf of the Post Office.
Would the Minister not accept that persons should be available to deliver such telegrams from Leopardstown Post Office? Would the Minister say either "yes" or "no" to that? The telegram was delivered quite early at this post office but they did not deliver it for hours afterwards.
We are taking steps to ensure that as far as possible this will not recur.
Thanks very much.