asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he proposes to extend the postal bus service which was introduced in County Clare in July 1982 to other parts of the country.

: It is the intention to extend the postbus service to other parts of the country and arrangements are in hand to identify suitable routes on which services may be introduced. However, progress will depend on the availability of financial resources.

: This may not be a fair question to put to the Minister, but is he is a position to indicate the economics of the service that is operating in Clare?

: That service is very encouraging. It has made an appreciable contribution to reducing the cost of mail services in the area.