: Deputy Bermingham received permission to raise on the adjournment the question of conditions in Athy, County Kildare, Post Office.
Adjournment Debate: Athy Post Office .
: I thank you and the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter which is of extreme urgency in the area which I represent. Repairs are being carried out at what we know as the post office in Athy and during these repairs it was necessary to transfer the counter services provided to another building The building to which they were transferred is inadequate and not capable of giving the kind of service that has come to be expected in the post office in that area. In the old post office there was a fully enclosed telephone kiosk where you could make a call in privacy. The telephone in the new post office is on the wall covered by a canopy which is only about one-fifth of the size of the previous kiosk and it is very restricting. There is no adequate sign indicating where the post office facilities are being provided and this has caused an amount of confusion. A sign was painted by some amateur on the side of the entrance to the new post office but it is not adequate. It is frustrating for the people to see a notice on the door of the old post office that the facilities are available elsewhere in the street and when they go looking for them they cannot find them. In one instance an old age pensioner who probably had bad eyesight went with her pension book into a shop adjacent to the new post office which is occupied by a tailor. This tailor has a letter box in the wall of his shop and on many mornings he must bring letters to the post office, which have been posted in his box in error. This situation should never have occurred.
A premises previously occupied by a bank in Athy became vacant recently and my information is that it would have been adequate for a post office. The sorting of mail and other postal services continue to be given from the old post office. While the staff are working sorting the letters the builders are hacking the plaster from the walls. The staff have to work in this dirt and dust.
Inconvenience is being caused to the public in relation to posting letters and in relation to post office services generally. When the public locate the new post office they must form queues outside the premises especially on a Tuesday which is market day in the town because the place is too small. The people of Athy are not used to this sort of treatment. We were proud of the service offered even in the old post office. We knew the post office needed to be repaired and I raised this matter in the House two years ago. To carry out the repairs will take over a year and it seems that the facilities now provided will have to suffice for that period. This cannot be tolerated and it would not be tolerated anywhere else.
The staff in the post office are now divided up. Some of them have to work in the old post office under terrible conditions and others in the new post office in inadequate conditions. The sanitary conditions in the new temporary post office for a staff of 12 postmen and six clerks consists of one flush toilet. The canteen and rest room facilities are non-existent. I was informed that the back door of the sorting office, which often contains letters and valuable parcels, cannot be locked. Some sort of contraption such as sticking a poker into a slot is being used to lock the door of the office.
The Athy post office caters for a large part of County Laois and south Kildare. Even with the place under repair we will continue to provide the services. If this situation is not rectified immediately it will continue throughout the carrying-out of the entire renovation, that is, about a year-and-a-half.
It is commonly known in the area that the door to the sorting office cannot be locked. If this sort of situation continues public faith in the post office will be undermined. Down through the years the public have had faith in the post office structures and I wish to see that confidence maintained. That is why this situation is serious enough to be raised on the adjournment of this House. Public confidence in the post office structures in my area will be dissipated if this situation continues much longer. Access must be available to members of the public to another business housed in the post office building and the door cannot be locked properly. It can be barred up in some manner but not locked.
The postmen working in the yard of the post office have to use the same yard as the builders and their vans are blocked up because of building materials and so on blocking up the exits. I do not blame the builders— they have to do their job—but the postmen must also do their jobs.
I pay tribute to the staff who have worked in the post office in my area down through the years for the great confidence the public has had in them. They are being asked to work under impossible conditions which will probably carry on for over a year. The conditions could have been rectified and still can be rectified if efforts are made to get the proper accommodation which, I suggest, is available in the town.
There is no identification on the temporary office and people do not know where the post office is. There is not any large sign over the post office that could be seen for any distance. Athy is a town of 4,000 or 5,000 people and it serves an area of 10,000 to 20,000 people. The services being offered by the post office are not in the true traditions of the service. The staff should not be expected to work under such severe handicaps. There is no accommodation for the public and it seems to me that proper efforts were not made to get accommodation in the town.
Some two years ago I asked a question about the Athy post office and I was told that the Office of Public Works had plans to repair the premises. There was plenty of time to get proper accommodation. I do not know who is responsible but there has been an utter failure to take account of the business carried on in the post office.
Something must be done immediately to restore the confidence of the people in the area in the post office services. In the past they have had full confidence in the post office and in its staff. I have made my case and I hope the Minister will give me some information on the matter.
, Dublin South-Central): I appreciate the concern of the Deputy with regard to the facilities in the post office. It is the policy of the Department to improve the standard of accommodation and to make better facilities available in post offices throughout the country but it is inevitable that a situation like this will arise. I am not saying that the defects which the Deputy has mentioned should be accepted. Every effort is being made to update post offices throughout the country so that better facilities will be available for the staff. It is very important that proper amenities, canteens and toilet facilities be provided. Fianna Fáil in their manifesto stated that they would try to improve the quality of the post office generally. We will concentrate on ensuring that standards are improved in offices throughout the country, and this includes Athy.
Athy post office is being modernised and the Deputy referred to this matter. I regret that the facilities available in the premises to which we have moved are not up to the standard we would wish. I have noted the Deputy's remarks and he can be assured that I will see what can be done with regard to the setbacks that have been encountered in the past five or six months.
We are trying to improve the condition of the old post office. It was not suitable and was in urgent need of modernisation. A decision was taken some time ago to carry out a complete modernisation programme but it was then found that it would be impossible to carry on business in the post office at the same time. It was necessary to move the post office to temporary premises at 41 Duke Street, about 150 yards from the post office. Deputy Bermingham said that there was no sign to indicate the location of the post office but my information is that it is only 150 yards away.
We are modernising the new post office and making better facilities available. We are extending facilities for the staff and also catering for the public by making provision for a savings bank, pensions and the payment of telegram accounts. I understand that the building work is due to be completed by the end of this year or very early next year.
In view of what Deputy Bermingham has told the House, it is important that the work being carried on by the Office of Public Works is done as quickly and as effectively as possible. We do not want to inconvenience the staff. It is the policy of the Department to build up good staff relationships. If the staff have been inconvenienced I regret it very much. However, it would be impossible to supply the amenities of a first-class office when we are only renting a temporary office. I am sure the staff will appreciate that this is only something for a short period and we could not possibly afford to provide the facilities they would wish. I know that some of the staff are engaged on sorting in the old post office. Naturally this is bound to create a certain amount of inconvenience. I am told that in the past few days it was fairly excessive and that many of the sorters complained about the conditions under which they had to work. I can appreciate that. Their job is tedious and requires concentration and this kind of distraction is not conducive to efficient work.
I can assure Deputy Bermingham that I shall have his remarks investigated and I shall see if the standards can be improved in the temporary post office. I shall do this next week to see if the situation can be improved. We are making every effort to ensure that the reconstruction work will be carried out on time. It is hoped that the work may be completed by the end of the year and I shall insist that the Office of Public Works expedite the matter. When the job is finished it will be a credit to Athy. A considerable amount of money is being spent on this. I am sure the Deputy has seen the plans of the work and is aware of the money involved. When it is completed I am sure the staff will agree that the inconvenience has been worth while. The Deputy may be assured that I shall investigate his complaints to see if anything can be done in the short-term. However, I would emphasise that we are only talking about six months, from July to the end of this year.
: Will the Minister investigate the possibility I mentioned of the other premises which would offer a complete post office service? I respect the Minister and would point out that I did not bring him in here on a frivolous point. I requested this debate on the adjournment in order to raise a serious problem in my area. It is not possible for the public to have any confidence in the post office service if they find building and sorting going on in the one premises.
(Dublin South-Central): The Deputy mentioned the bank building that was available. I must say I have not got that information.
: They moved to a bigger building only a short time ago.
The Dáil adjourned at 5.25 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 13 June 1978.