asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the proposals, if any, to enable emergency communications to be made in the event of the continuation of the post office dispute.

(Dublin South-Central): The position is that emergency communication, that is, emergency messages by calls to “999” or otherwise to the Garda, fire, ambulance services and so on, are being maintained and it is intended to continue to maintain them.

Will the Minister tell us the extent and scope of the emergency services to which he refers?

(Dublin South-Central): I have given them in my reply—the fire brigade, ambulance and Garda services.

Are calls to doctors and priests covered?

(Dublin South-Central): There is usually an emergency service to cover that type of eventuality in all exchanges.

Will the Minister answer my question directly? If somebody is seeking the urgent services of a doctor or a priest will he or she be able to make such a contact?

(Dublin South-Central): Yes. Operating instructions provide for priority attention to emergency calls to certain other services, clergy, doctors, Army helicopters, for aeroplane accidents, the Electricity Sup-ly Board, the water works and the gas board.

Is the Minister telling the House that the instructions to which he refers are being carried out?

Deputy Keating.

I was trying to get a reply in regard to doctors and priests and have only just now got it. Will the Minister say whether the emergency services would cover the situation of sending telegrams to relatives on a death, and would they cover, for instance, dealing with a consignment of rotting food on the docks?

The Deputy could go on asking questions for a long time about this.

How far will these emergency services go?

(Dublin South-Central): I indicated in my reply how far they will go.

Deputy Keating. I have called Deputy Keating.

With respect to Deputy Keating, the Minister gave me a reply which he has extended. I want to know how far——

(Dublin South-Central): It extends to doctors, clergy, Army helicopter services, the Electricity Supply Board, the water works and the gas board.

Are chemists covered?

Deputy Keating.

I am anxious to find out the scope of this.

The Deputy has asked several supplementaries.

I have had to ask them because the Minister has been very begrudging with his information.

(Dublin South-Central): The Deputy knows perfectly well that we are operating with a limited staff and we cannot extend it to the whole country.

The whole question of the strike and when it will be settled is another day's work.

I am calling Deputy Keating.

Is the Minister telling me that this is as far as it goes——

Would the Minister be good enough to let me know whether or not these emergency communications referred to would include the question of transmission of social welfare payments? Is the Minister aware of the disgraceful shambles of these payments?

That does not relate to the question on the Order Paper.

It relates to the basic need——

The question has nothing whatsoever to do with social welfare payments. Question No. 6.

It relates to the need for people to——

Question No. 6. That may be important but it is not relevant.

On a point of order, will the Chair do me the courtesy of listening to the rest of the question? Is the Minister willing to make any alternative arrangements—emergency communications—available to people who were turned away this morning from the social welfare departments?

Question No. 6. I already told the Deputy that that question does not relate to the question on the Order Paper.

It has to do with communications. No wonder the Minister is refusing to answer.

Order, order.

It is disgraceful.

Question No. 6.