asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state why all the outward and inward posts, including those ordinarily maintained on Sundays, were suspended on St. Patrick's Day, to the inconvenience of many citizens.
CEISTEANNA.—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - SUSPENSION OF POSTS ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY.
Deliveries and despatches of mails on Bank Holidays were suspended in An Saorstát as far back as March, 1923, but on Bank Holidays which follow a Sunday or other public holiday night mail despatches take place where the train service permits. St. Patrick's Day of this year did not follow a Sunday or other public holiday, and consequently there was a complete suspension of services, except in Dublin, where a delivery of correspondence for commercial houses was afforded to callers (which is not afforded on Sundays) and a special late evening collection was made as on Sundays. The fact of the day being the National Holiday rendered restriction of labour desirable as far as possible. It is not considered that any real public inconvenience was caused by the absence of deliveries and despatches.
Arising out of the Minister's answer, is it not a fact that, whether there was public inconvenience or not, there was a great deal of inconvenience in the service, owing to congestion on the subsequent days, and will he consider whether in future there should not be some degree of service on Bank Holidays, if not in respect of delivery, then in respect of collection of mails?
I am prepared to consider the matter.