asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether he is aware of the fact that during the recent heavy rain correspondence in the Central Letter Office in Dublin was damaged by rainfall owing to the defective condition of the roof, and if he will state what steps he proposes to take to provide for the erection of a central letter office in Dublin suitable to the needs of the capital city of the country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Postal Arrangements.
Owing to the heavy rainfall during the night of 1-2adh instant there were leakages at certain points in the roof, due to shrinkage during the very dry, warm weather in August. Repairs were, of course, immediately put in hand and are still being carried out. No damage of any consequence was caused to correspondence. Plans for the erection of the new central sorting office at Pearse Street were interrupted by the emergency and the work must now remain in abovance until adequate supplies of necessary building materials are again available. This work is included in our post-war plans.
Is the Minister not aware that a good deal of correspondence was saturated with the rain which came in through the shrunken roof in the office in Pearse Street and, as a matter of fact, that the correspondence might as well have been immersed in the Liffey, it was in such a condition? Will the Minister now indicate when he proposes to proceed with the erection of the new sorting office and letter office for the City of Dublin which his predecessor, the present Minister for Justice, stated would be completed and ready for occupation as far back as 1941?
The Deputy's statement is a gross exaggeration.
In view of the Minister's apparent want of knowledge of what is happening in his Department, will he undertake to get first-hand statements from the people who had to deliver the correspondence in a saturated condition? Will he assure the public that he will take steps to ensure that in the future some cover of a durable character will be put over correspondence?