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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 12 Mar 1981

Vol. 327 No. 9

Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Postal Service.

5.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether he regards the Dublin postal service as having regained the level of efficiency and regularity which it had up to the 1979 postal strike.

Available figures indicate that the standard in Dublin is not significantly different from that which obtained prior to the strike. The pay agreement concluded last year provides for co-operation from staff in measures to improve output and efficiency and I expect that this co-operation will facilitate progress towards an even further improved service.

Is the Minister aware that letters posted in Dublin can take up to five days, and frequently take three days, to be delivered? Further, will he not agree that at one time if a letter was posted in the city before 11 a.m. it was delivered the same day? Will he not admit that there has been a grave deterioration in the postal service in Dublin and that some major action will have to be taken to bring it back to its former level?

On the last part of the Deputy's question, I do not agree with what he has said. There are certain districts in Dublin where there are some difficulties. Churchtown postal district is one such example. The problem regarding the provision of accommodation is being solved. It is not always easy to get suitable accommodation. However, we are working on the matter and we will continue with our efforts to make the service even better than it was prior to the strike. I do not accept the point made by Deputy Mitchell that a letter posted in Dublin will take five days to deliver. I do not know what he means by that statement. An allegation was made in this House yesterday by the leader of his party who said a request was posted to have investigated by my Department an illegal phone-tapping in the Fine Gael headquarters. We received that letter last night and it did not come through the post. I wish to clarify that point.

May I clarify that point?

I am calling Deputy Mitchell.

Will the Minister accept an assurance from me that it can take up to five days for a letter to be delivered, and very frequently it takes three days? I have had, in order to test the system, to resort to posting letters to myself because I have got so many complaints from my constituents. Frequently it takes three days and often five days. Will the Minister at least undertake to examine the situation urgently? I would love the Minister to prove me wrong but if what I am saying is true will he undertake to take urgent steps to remedy the situation?

I try daily, not weekly, to keep on top of the situation. We had a situation prior to an unofficial strike between 5 and 14 February when we had a 90 per cent delivery of letters posted at night and delivered the following morning. That is in excess of what the figure was prior to the strike. Now that the Deputy has spent so long making insinuations about the technical side of my Department he is trying to denigrate the staff who work on the postal side. I do not accept that.

Am I right in assuming that the Minister is saying to the House that he is refusing to listen to the legitimate representations made by Deputy Mitchell, which I could repeat, and that he is refusing the last request made by Deputy Mitchell, which is to investigate the matter? No mention was made of the staff at all.

I answered that question. I said I did not monitor that on a weekly basis. I monitor that on a daily basis. That is the answer to the question. Would the Deputy not try to twist my words?

In view of the Minister's assertion that he monitors it on a daily basis he is failing in a number of areas, including the one Deputy Mitchell referred to, but specifically the Dublin 2 area where it can take up to five days in some cases to deliver letters if they are delivered at all. If the Minister is monitoring it on a daily basis would he kindly indicate what parts of the city he is monitoring because there are areas he is failing to cover?

Unofficial industrial action by some postmen from 5 to 14 February, as I already intimated, caused delay to letters for delivery in the Dublin districts 1 and 2. The backlog accumulated has been cleared except for a few circular letters.

The Minister is now telling us that. He said everything was perfect a few minutes ago.

Would the Minister of State explain the circumstances in which he states that a letter sent by me, which was personally handed in to the letter's office in this House last Thursday, was not received by his Minister until last night? On what basis does he consider that the system is an efficient one?

May I ask the Minister——

(Interruptions.)

I am a bit confused about this alleged letter like I am confused about the alleged tapping. In order to clarify the situation, the Leader of the Opposition said in the House yesterday that the letter was posted on Thursday. However the Deputy sitting beside him made a statement that it was on its way to me.

I did not get an answer to my question.

This is about six supplementaries.

There have been many allegations from the other side of the House about phone tapping. I am quite satisfied with the replies the Minister has given. Will the Minister say if, after three months of almost constant publicity about phone tapping in Fine Gael headquarters he only received the letter by hand yesterday despite the fact that the Leader of the Fine Gael Party indicated that a letter was posted last Thursday?

That is quite true.

Deputy Niall Andrews is trying to divert the situation. Will the Minister answer my question? I can say here, as the person who wrote the letter that I personally handed it in to the letter's office in this House last Thursday before I left Dublin. Will the Minister explain how it could arise that it was not received by him or by his Minister and in what circumstances he can say the system is an efficient one?

I was not in the letter so I do not know which way it went. I know that it may have been sent by some other means through the House, of which the Deputy is aware of, where his letters are delivered to Ministers in a different way, but it certainly did not come through the post. I want to make the point that the allegation that the postal side did not deliver the alleged letter about the alleged phone tapping is beyond me.

How was a reply dictated and signed yesterday when the Minister said it had not been received?

Will the Deputy look at what Deputy Keating said yesterday?

(Interruptions.)

On a point of order, I want to give notice that Question No. 5 on today's Order Paper was about wide-spread delays in the delivery of post in Dublin, taking up to five days and very often three days. I want to give notice now that I intend to raise this matter — Deputy Kelly cannot be present — on the Adjournment of the House. I want to repeat that the situation is totally unsatisfactory.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

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