I shall be very brief in dealing with this matter, but I do speak with a certain amount of justification. About a month ago I had occasion to go to the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, and I gave particulars of a letter handed in here to the Post Office in time for the English mail. It did not cross by the English mail although handed in here at 6 o'clock. It bore the Dublin post-mark at 10 p.m. The Minister investigated the matter in the Sorting Office and stated that he hoped it would not occur again. This morning three letters, containing amendments, which were posted in England on Monday, and which would have crossed on Monday night's boat, were delivered, one at 10 o'clock in the morning, and two others, which should cross by the same boat, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. These two occurrences, coming close together, do suggest that there is a certain looseness in the administration of the Post Office. I am not satisfied on this occasion merely with making an individual complaint to the Department, and I wish to raise the matter here because I think a certain amount of publicity will serve a useful purpose.
QUESTION ON THE ADJOURNMENT—POSTAL DELAYS.
CATHAOIRLEACH
I should make it plain that the staff of this House is in no way responsible for this. I have a letter from the Superintendent of the messengers' staff in which he tells me that it is a very common experience that letters for Ministers, Senators and Deputies arriving by the morning mail are not delivered, either in Leinster House or in the Government offices, until 3.30 in the afternoon. He says that that is what happened in regard to two out of the three letters to which Senator Sir John Keane referred. Therefore let us be quite sure—the Senator himself has not suggested it— that we do not blame our own staff.
It is a general complaint throughout the country.
The Seanad adjourned at 7 o'clock until Thursday, July 22nd.