Vol. 323 No. 3
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will outline the reason why, after 140 years, the sub-post office has been taken from Crettyard, Carlow, County Laois, where it served 962 persons out of the local population of 1,094 and relocated in a locality serving only the balance of the local population: and if he will reconsider this matter in view of the strong local feelings on the relocation of this very necessary service.
442.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will consider re-siting the sub-post office at Crettyard, County Laois, at a more central location, to facilitate pensioners, social welfare recipients and the general public.
443.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will restore sub-post office facilities to Crettyard, County Laois.
: With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 441, 442 and 443 together.
The change in the location of the sub-post office at Crettyard resulted from the appointment of a new postmistress. The appointment was made following the public invitation of applications for the post and the assessment by a departmental selection board of the applications received, in the light of the personal qualifications of the candidates and the suitability and position of their premises. The position of the premises provided by the new postmistress was the most central of all the premises offered, having regard to the distribution of population in the area as a whole and the location of adjoining sub-post offices. The provision of a further sub-post office at Crettyard would not be warranted by the volume of business that would be transacted there.
