asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if, in view of the fact that the required accommodation is available, he will consider having a learners' centre established at the Central Post Office, Wexford.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wexford Post Office Learners' Centre.
Mr. Corish
The number of provincial learner centres was increased this year from 14 to 29. Wexford was considered in connection with the increase, but as accommodation was not available at the time, it was not possible to consider Wexford as a centre. A centre was, however, established at Enniscorthy.
The present number of learner centres is adequate to meet requirements and it is not proposed to establish one at Wexford.
Would the Minister consider in that connection distributing the learner system out of centres through the post offices where the telephone service at present is suspended at 8 or 10 o'clock at night and allow girls to become learners in the telephone branch and to operate the telephones from 8 o'clock until midnight——
That is a separate question.
——so that when the telephone system is extended, there will be a body of trained girls available to man it and so that we will not be trying to teach them when the telephone system has expanded? Is that not a sensible idea—two birds killed with one stone?
And the Minister killed with the question.
The type of work that has to be done by learners is entirely different from that done by telephone workers. As regards people for telephone work, we are getting them constantly—we have a constant supply. What they do is entirely different from what is done by learners. You could not distribute the learners because they must be in the centres where there are postmasters competent, willing and anxious to take an interest in them.
Apart from learners in the technical sense indicated by the Minister, is it not true that when the telephone division is expanded a great many additional operators will be required?
We can get as many as we want.
Would it not be advantageous to have them trained and not take them in for training just when the new equipment is available for operation?
It is a different training altogether.
And it is a separate question.