§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether the important centre of Ballyfin, in the Queen's County, is now served from Mountrath as post town, and whether in consequence, letters and papers are delivered a day later than they need be at the former place, whether he is aware that Maryborough, a railway junction, is actually nearer to Ballyfin than Mountrath is; and whether some arrangement can be made to get rid of the present great delay?
§ MR. HANBURYBallyfin is now served from Mountrath, as post town, by a postman on foot working in connection with the night mail. The arrival is at 7.10 a.m. and the dispatch at 5.50 p.m. No earlier delivery of letters and papers than at present is practicable if the service is to remain in connection with the night mail. Maryborough railway station is nearer to Ballyfin 1548 than Mountrath station is, but Maryborough post office is not quite so near to Ballyfin as Mountrath post office is, A service from Maryborough to Ballyfin in connection with the night mail would have no advantage over the present service from Mountrath, but if the post to Ballyfin were kept back until the arrival of the day mail from Dublin, the delivery would include day mail letters which now have to wait until next morning. The delivery could not however then take place either from Maryborough or Mountrath until past 10 a.m. and the dispatch would have to be made soon after 3 p.m. These hours might not be generally acceptable to the inhabitants, but enquiry shall be made on the subject and the result communicated to the hon. Member.