asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if in view of the increased cost of living and the fact that sub-postmasters must provide (a) premises (b) fuel (c) light and (d) assistants, he will consider granting a substantial increase of salaries to all sub-postmasters in the State.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Increase in Salaries for Sub-Postmasters.
29.
An increase in pay was granted to all sub-postmasters in February, 1959, following acceptance of an agreed recommendation by the Sub-Postmasters' Consultative Council on a claim submitted by the Sub-Postmasters' Union. A claim for a further increase was received recently and is under consideration.
Is the Minister aware that a sub-postmaster is paid annually between £80 and £90 only, that out of that he has to provide a building, light and fuel and, in view of that, and bearing in mind the fact that his colleague the Minister for Justice informed us last week that the State was defrauded of at least £10,000 last year by some underpaid sub-postmasters, would be reconsider the entire position in as favourable a light as he possibly can?
The pay of a sub-postmaster or mistress is related to the volume of business transacted in the sub-office and while it is a fact that in some offices the figure is as low as the Deputy has stated, in others it stands at £700, £800 and £900. The pay is based, as I have stated, on the amount of business transacted in the office. Some of the offices are money order offices. Some of them are not money order offices. In relation to the question of defalcations mentioned by the Deputy, the defalcations are small in comparison with the large amount of money—it reaches millions of pounds —handled by officials of the Post Office and are not related in any way to the question of the amount of remuneration payable to sub-postmasters.
I agree with the Minister that there is a differential in so far as the volume of business is concerned but the working hours are the same. Is the Minister aware that some sub-postmistresses are expected to work 57 hours per week, which includes 9 to 10.30 on Sunday, and still their remuneration is between £80 and £90 a year? I suggest that the hours worked should be taken into consideration in assessing the salary payable. Would the Minister, if possible, give favourable consideration to whatever award is made by the Arbitration Board?
Question No. 30.