§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Postmaster-General if he received a petition from the residents of Pallaskenry and district asking to have the mail service between Pallaskenry and Limerick continued as usual; and, if so, will he say what action he proposes to take in the matter?
Mr. PIKE PEASEMy right hon. Friend has received the petition to which the hon. Member refers. The afternoon mail between Limerick and Pallaskenry was discontinued on the 14th of October as an alternative to incurring increased expenditure in maintainng it. The cost of the postal service in the district is still much in excess of the revenue; my right hon. Friend regrets that he is not in a position to sanction the expenditure which would be necessary to restore the afternoon mail.
§ Mr. M. HEALYasked the Postmaster-General whether permission to the 244W railway company to delay the morning mail from Dublin to the South by fifty-five minutes was given by the Post Office or by the Board of Trade; if the Post Office, whether the Board of Trade was first consulted; whether any independent investigation was made by either Department of the pretexts on which the delay was based?
Mr. PIKE PEASEAs I explained on the 25th October the railway company have not been authorised by the Post Office to delay the start of the train, but to fix a-time for starting corresponding with that which is attainable in the circumstances produced by the War. It is for the convenience of every one, including passengers, that the starting time should be fixed instead of varying from day to day.
§ Mr. M. HEALYasked the Postmaster-General if he will state the total time required between the arrival and departure of the morning mail at Kingstown, including that required for the transfer of passengers' luggage and the railway company's parcels; what are the railway purposes which are alleged to require a fixed interval of forty-eight minutes at the Kingsbridge station; and whether, before definitely permitting the latter interval, he will independently have investigated its alleged necessity?
Mr. PIKE PEASEThe average time occupied at Kingstown during October last between the arrival of the packet boat and the departure of the train was twenty minutes. The Post Office has never stated that an interval of forty-eight minutes is required at Kingsbridge solely for actual railway work. That interval is, in present conditions, required to provide both for railway work and for delay in arrival at Kingsbridge of the train from Kingstown.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the delivery of letters from the Kildangan Post Office, county Kildare, has been recently restricted to four days a week; that whilst the post runs as usual from Monasterevan to Kildangan every weekday, there is no delivery from the latter on Tuesdays or Thursdays in the populous districts of Ricardstown, Cherrymills, Bourbawn, and other townlands, with the result that letters reaching Kildangan for these districts on Tuesdays and Fridays are not 245W delivered until Wednesdays and Saturdays; and whether, owing to the inconvenience caused to the inhabitants of these townlands, he will have steps taken to restore the daily delivery of letters from Kildangan through the whole district served by the Kildangan Post Office?