asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will make a statement on the arrangements to have a telegram (details supplied) from Dublin to Offaly delivered, in view of the fact that the contents were of vital importance concerning a bereavement.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telegram Delivery.
13.
On the date the telegram was sent, industrial action by engineering workmen was in progress which affected the telephone and telegraph services. The area to which this telegram was addressed was one of those most severely affected. Special arrangements were made with a view to exceptional delivery of the telegram in question but these unfortunately failed at a particular stage. I very much regret the distress and inconvenience caused to the family of the deceased person.
The Minister said that special arrangements were made. Surely special arrangements of the nature made, which involved posting the telegram, displayed an appalling lack of sensitivity by some officers in his Department in view of the contents of the telegram, which was a notification by a brother to a sister of the death of their father? Would the Minister make any comment on it?
Yes, I would First of all, I sympathise with the Deputy's complaint. I think he has been right to make it. Even allowing for the circumstances of the industrial dispute, which were difficult, the matter was mishandled by the officers concerned. When the circumstances were brought to my notice, as a result of the Deputy's question, I wrote to the addressee of the telegram to express my personal regrets for what happened on that occasion. But, in fairness to my Department and to the postal services, I should like to say that this is fortunately a very rare event and all those concerned are well aware that it should not occur again. I am not extenuating what happened in this case but I would not like the House or the public generally to make an adverse generalisation about the services in question arising out of that case. There are many thousands of cases handled, of necessity, in my Department every day and I am happy to say that such an occurrence is rare.
I am grateful for the Minister's concern in this matter. I just hope that the Minister's letter has more success in arriving than the letter which enclosed the telegram which never arrived, as has been admitted by the Minister.