(Dublin Central) asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if his attention has been drawn to an article in a daily newspaper which claims that the Irish post office service is regarded as the worst in western Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Post Office Service.
23.
I am aware that such an article appeared in a Sunday newspaper. The writer would appear to be seriously misinformed as to the standard of the postal service in this country. The fact is that the Irish postal service compares favourably with the postal services of other Western European countries and that is generally acknowledged.
Would the Minister agree that a four-day delivery period for a letter posted in Dublin to Donegal does not bear the hallmark of "as good a postal service as anywhere else"?
The postal service in this country is organised on the basis that the great majority of letters posted in time for despatch will be delivered in most places throughout the country on the following working day. A universal door-to-door delivery is provided. Few other administrations provide a service of a similarly high and uniform standard. Delay to correspondence does occur as in all postal administrations at times for various reasons, for example, incorrect or incomplete address, mis-sorting, misdelivery, failure of connections, abnormal traffic, et cetera. If any Deputy who has cause for complaint on a particular matter will bring the matter to my attention, I should be glad to have it investigated as I would be glad to investigate the complaint to which the Deputy refers.
May I take it that the Minister is not aware of or has not received, not only from me but from the public at large in parts of the west and from Donegal in particular, complaints of delays in delivery in the case of letters and parcels?
Yes, of course, and, as in every postal adminstration a certain number of complaints are received from time to time and are investigated. There has not been any tendency for the level of complaints to increase in relation to these matters. I should like to see it decreased.
There is nothing in the situation which worries the Minister?
No, except that one would like to see a perfect postal service. I do not think we can see that. I think we have a good postal service and that those concerned in the work of postal service on the whole deserve to be congratulated on the quality of the service they provide which does compare favourably with the postal service in other countries.
Except that there are not enough of them. There is a cut down in number and an increase in the volume of mail.
Could the Minister offer any explanation of the general feeling abroad that the service, in fact, is deteriorating? Or would he maintain that the service is as good as it always has been or agree that there is some falling-off in the efficiency of the service?
I do not accept that there has been any falling-off in the efficiency in the service.
Would the Minister accept that there is a fairly widespread feeling amongst the public that there is a falling-off?
No, I would not accept that there is such a widespread feeling. There are always some people who are dissatisfied with the postal service—there always were— but I do not see any rise in such a feeling, nor do I see any need for such a rise, nor has the complaint level in fact increased. Of course, the Opposition naturally will tend to maintain that a Government are not providing the service they ought to provide.
Would the Minister say that in Donegal?
Anything I say here I will say anywhere else.
The Minister perhaps will recall that not very long ago it was possible to post a letter in Dublin in the morning and have it delivered that evening, something that is now quite impossible. Would he perhaps consider that the reason for the volume of complaints not increasing is that people have just thrown in the towel, given up the ghost?
I do not think so. I did not say that complaints had stopped. I said the level of complaints was about the same. That does not suggest either that the service has disimproved or that anybody has thrown in the towel.
A final supplementary.
(Dublin Central): Would the Minister agree that it is due to the fact that overtime has been cut down, both in sorting offices and other areas, and that this is contributing to a deterioration in the service?
We have already had that question. That is Question No. 22, which we have passed.
I am aware that, as a matter of policy, my Department are keeping overtime to a minimum. I am aware also that some people affected by restriction of overtime have informed the press and others that this tends to a deterioration in the postal services. One can understand that but I am not satisfied that such a deterioration has taken place.
(Dublin Central): Further arising out of the Minister's reply——
This matter was dealt with on Question No. 22. Question No. 24.