asked the Minister for the Posts and Telegraphs why it is not possible to send a telegram to Northern Ireland by overnight delivery service.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Overnight Telegram Service.
14.
(Dublin South-Central): The overnight telegram service is a purely internal service. It is uneconomic and it is not proposed to extend it.
Is the Minister aware that when I wanted to send an overnight telegram to Northern Ireland the telephonist very politely rang back to tell me it was impossible to send an overnight telegram to Northern Ireland. When I asked why she told me it was a different state.
(Dublin South-Central): That is right. This is an internal service.
If it is a different state, what is the constitutional position?
(Dublin South-Central): This is completely confined to the administration of the service.
I know the Minister's difficulty but I see this differently. I see it as discriminating against Irish citizens living in Northern Ireland who come here and wish to send a telegram back home.
I am calling the next question.
Is the Minister aware that if an Irish citizen leaves Northern Ireland and goes to England, Scotland and Wales and wishes to send an over-night telegram to Ireland he is allowed to do it, but this Government will not allow a citizen of this country, who might be living in Northern Ireland and is temporarily down here, to send an overnight telegram to his relations informing them of a death or to send some other message?
(Dublin South-Central): One cannot send an over-night telegram from the United Kingdom to the Twenty-six Counties.
Is Northern Ireland the United Kingdom?
(Dublin South-Central): The Deputy said Scotland and Wales.
The Minister may not have heard what I said. If an Irish national, who is temporarily absent from Northern Ireland and is in the Republic, wishes to send a telegram home he may not do so but if that Irish national is in Great Britain he may send an overnight telegram from England, Scotland or Wales to Ireland. The Minister is discriminating against Irish people.
(Interruptions.)
What is the constitu-tional position in relation to that? Does it not show how woolly the thinking of the Government is in regard to the whole concept of Ireland?
(Cavan-Monaghan): It shows how serious the Minister takes Article 2 of the Consti-tution.
Question No. 15.
It is a disgraceful situation when you discriminate against fellow Irishmen who cannot send a telegram by overnight service. It is a downright disgrace to discriminate against those people.
Would the Deputy cease referring personal matters to the Chair?
I am making a protest. You are living in the same constituency and you should appreciate the difficulty of those people.
The Deputy is referring personal matters to the Chair.
I am not referring personal matters to you. I am paying you the compliment——
(Interruptions.)