asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether attention has been drawn to a report in which it was stated that a female clerk, employed by a subpostmaster in Moynalty, and who was charged with embezzlement, was only in receipt of £2 per month salary, with dinner and tea, yet she handled from £50 to £70 per week; and if he will indicate whether his Department exercises any supervision over the salaries paid to such employees of subpostmasters in order to ensure that they will receive rates of remuneration sufficient to remove undue temptation when dealing with public moneys.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Salaries of Employees at Sub-Post Offices.
I have seen the newspaper referred to by the Deputy. It is impracticable for the Post Office to lay down and enforce definite regulations as to the wages and conditions, etc., of sub-post office assistants, seeing that they are the servants of the subpostmaster, are engaged and paid by him, and are frequently not wholly employed on post office work. So far as it is possible to do so, however, the conditions of service of sub-post office assistants are enquired into from time to time with the object of ensuring that such conditions are not less favourable than those of shop assistants of about the same standing in the service of good employers in the district.
When considering the appointment of a sub-postmaster, is any consideration given to the possible labour requirements he will need to carry out his duty? Is that covered in the financial arrangements and, if so, is there a fixed allowance made to cover such assistance and what steps are taken to see that the allowance made is paid to the employee? In this particular case which was reported in the newspapers the other day, it turned out that the girl in question did not receive any monetary compensation for the first period of her employment.
It is very difficult to deal with the conditions, because the relationship between ourselves and a sub-postmaster is a contractual one. He is entitled to give what he likes to his assistant. We always try to insist that they pay their assistants on the basis I have stated. We may not be always able to enforce that or to know beforehand that it is not carried out. The whole position with regard to many post offices in the country has changed considerably. A great many post offices formerly did a good deal of trade in the way of shopping. Owing to the change in methods of communications the trade in these shops has practically ceased. We have to watch the situation constantly in order to readjust the amount that is to be paid. Each case is considered on its merits.
Could the Minister not consider the principle followed in Government contracts of a fair-wages clause in which there is a requirement that the contractor must observe certain wage rates? In the case of these contracts, the employees are not handling public property. In this case, they are. The application of that principle might remove the difficulty.
There is a private business also being carried on in these post offices and it is hard to divide the amount of time devoted to the private business and the time devoted to post office work.
In this case, she was described as a post office clerk.
She was an assistant, but she was not employed by us.
Is the Minister aware that it is fantastic to represent to the House that the remuneration given to sub-postmasters in rural Ireland is of a character that would permit them to pay a living wage to their assistants? Is it not common knowledge that they are not getting enough to pay themselves, never mind paying an assistant?
The Deputy is ignoring all the complicated facts.