asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the minimum and the maximum length of time involved in the sending and receiving of a telegram and if he is satisfied with the present situation whereby delivery of telegrams sent after office hours or at weekends can take days.
Written Answers. - Telegram Deliveries.
327.
Approximately 80 per cent of all telegrams are delivered within two hours of acceptance of or receipt in this administration. Almost all the remainder are delivered within three hours and delivery extends beyond this only where there are exceptional difficulties. There have been some delays in delivery in Dublin since the postal strike due to the inability to recruit and train staff during the strike but the position is now almost back to normal.
Urgent telegrams received after hours and on Sundays for delivery in Dublin city are delivered specially. Telegrams received at these times and which are addressed to persons who can be identified as telephone subscribers are telephoned to the addresses, and telegrams of a life and death nature are dealt with specially. Other telegrams received after office hours and on Sundays are held over for delivery on the next working day. These arrangements have obtained for many years and are regarded as reasonable.