Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We do not get many opportunities to discuss these issues while everybody is at the table.

I welcome the increase of €8 million in the profit made on the parcel service business. There are four mail centres in the State, at Portlaoise, Athlone, Dublin and Cork, which are important pillars of the post office network. In Portlaoise there is a new parcel centre beside the mail centre which provides a very good service. It looks like funding will come on stream next year for the installation of 450 m of roadway as part of the Portlaoise N80 orbital route which will see the road run right past the front door of the centre. It is within 1 km of the N7-N8 motorway junction and the rail station is around the corner, making Portlaoise a key transport hub. The centre has created 200 jobs in the town and an additional 180 in the lead-up to Christmas. In addition, customs processing of inward mail parcels for delivery throughout the entire State is completed there. It is a very important facility.