asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the labour dispute at Enfield Post Office, Country Meath; and if, in view of the hardship being caused both to the employees and the public, he will take the necessary steps to have the dispute resolved immediately.

: I am aware that assistants employed in the sub-post office at Enfield have been on strike since 6 June and that, as a result, service provided at the telephone exchange there is restricted. Counter and mail services have not been affected. The employees involved in the dispute are employed by the postmaster and it would be inappropriate for me, therefore, to intervene in this dispute between the postmaster and his employees.

: Am I to take it that because a private individual is in charge of the telephone service in an important industrial area in which there is a dispute in regard to the outrageous wages being paid to the employees the Minister has no responsibility in the matter? Does the Minister propose to allow the situation to continue indefinitely? Is it not true that when his employees were in dispute with the Department he was quick to say that those employees should be handed over to private enterprise?

: Deputy, that is a speech.

: I did not say that. Postmasters are paid at standard rates which are settled under the scheme of conciliation and arbitration. I understand that the matter is presently being examined by an officer of the Labour Court conciliation service.

: I am calling Question No. 12.

: This is an important matter.

: It is a local matter.

: It is not a local matter. Is it the considered opinion of the Minister and the Department that he has no authority to intervene in the matter?

: Is the Deputy suggesting that I should intervene in a matter between a private employer and his employees? Is he not satisfied that the proper way to deal with such a matter is the way in which it is being dealt with—by an officer of the Labour Court conciliation service?

: As the Minister has asked me a question, the proper way to deal with this matter would be for the Minister to take over this post office and run it in the same manner as other important post offices are being run by the State.