asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (a) if all Saturday night-Sunday morning mail trains are to be discontinued and (b) if so, the alternative transport arrangements that will be made to carry mails to Limerick Junction and return.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mail Trains.
13.
(Dublin South-Central): As the five-day, Monday to Friday, week for postmen, such as has obtained for some years in the Dublin area, is gradually introduced throughout the rest of the country, the need for the carriage of mails on certain Saturday night-Sunday morning trains will gradually cease. The retention or discontinuance of the trains is, of course, a matter for CIE. In the case of the Limerick area the carriage of mails from Limerick to Limerick Junction on Saturday night-Sunday morning has already ceased but mails continue to be carried for the present by train from Limerick Junction to Limerick.
Did the Minister say that it was the intention to extend the five-day postal delivery service which operates in Dublin?
(Dublin South-Central): Yes.
Does the Minister consider that to be progressive?
(Dublin South-Central): This is being introduced following the negotiating of an agreement a considerable time ago. That agreement was negotiated with the unions involved. The system has been operating in Dublin for five or six years and was introduced in several parts of the country since 3 April. I believe the conditions of postmen demand the introduction of a five-day week.
The conditions of postmen may demand the introduction of a five-day week but do the postmen want it? That is a different thing. Does the Minister recognise the fact that because something works in Dublin it may not work in the rest of the country? This is the problem with the Government, they think that because something is good enough for Dublin it is good enough for the rest of the country, but that is not the case.
(Dublin South-Central): Agreement in connection with this matter was reached six or seven years ago. The system will be introduced gradually along lines that will ensure there will be no redundancies. As certain retirements take place the five-day week will be introduced and I do not think anybody can disagree with that.
Will the Minister explain why it is that private enterprise can operate a five-day week satisfactorily——
And operate on Saturdays.
——while there appears to be difficulty in a public service offering a full week's service and at the same time giving their staff a five-day week?
(Dublin South-Central): Much of the private sector I know of do not operate a Saturday or Sunday service.
The Minister is aware that the service sector can offer the public a seven-day service while giving their employees a five-day week.
(Dublin South-Central): I do not think there is the same demand for weekend mail services as there is for other public services. The case cannot be made for the introduction of a Saturday or Sunday mail service for Dublin when most of the offices in the city are closed on those two days.
Would the Minister agree, in view of the very poor nature of our telecommunications service— the strike apart—not to introduce the five-day week until people in the country can use the telephones? If the five-day week is to be granted to post office employees the sixth day service could be supplied by additional workers.
(Dublin South-Central): I do not think the telecommunications service and the postal service are that closely related. This type of operation must be phased in over four or five years. The operation which took place on 3 April was planned some 12 months ago. We must prepare a plan for the entire country.
The Minister must be aware that in some rural districts telegrams are delivered by postmen and I should like to know if urgent telegrams will be left two days in the local post office before they are delivered?
A funeral would be over before people would know friends or relatives had died.
(Dublin South-Central): We did not have a postal service on Sundays.
The Minister does not know what he is doing.
It would be better if the Minister reintroduced the sixth day postal service in Dublin.
(Dublin South-Central): I do not think that would be progressive at all. We canvassed postmen about that.
We have an unemployment problem and this is an area where more jobs could be produced. Would the Minister consider employing more people to facilitate a Saturday delivery throughout the country until we have proper telecommunications?
(Dublin South-Central): Hopefully, the telecommunications problem will end shortly but I do not think we should upset our plans with regard to introducing a five-day week for such short term gain.
I am not talking about strikes. The Minister must agree that the system in many parts of the country is abysmal and for that reason would he consider maintaining the sixth day postal service by employing additional workers? Would the Minister consider that suggestion?
(Dublin South-Central): No. The suggestion is not practicable.