Mr. David McRedmond:

In terms of the breakdown relating to the 159 post offices, technically, these postmasters and postmistresses are ending their contracts. What is involved, therefore, is an exit contract payment, not a retirement. There are a number of different reasons involved. An Post did not ask for reasons. Rather, it identified the approximately 350 post offices in respect of which this package was offered. Those post offices were identified on the basis of their being able to serve the needs of communities and where it would be possible for people to exit. On that basis, people have exited for their own reasons. An Post has very detailed information on each of those post offices as to the number of transactions involved and the number of social welfare clients who use their services. The company has a very clear plan for dealing with these.

As to engagement with local businesses, in the first instance, An Post ran a consultation on the plan in late April and throughout May when the deal with the IPU was announced. That consultation was made widely available. There was a relatively low take-up, as is often the case with consultations, and more engagement was required. In the context of the latter, An Post has put in place a protocol and an appeals body. There are two appeals adjudicators who are independent, experienced and recognised experts. Any local business can appeal and say it wishes to have a post office and will be assessed against that criterion. There was one post office in Sligo whereby an appeal was made not by the business but by the community. In that instance, it was very close to the cut-off population number of 500. The adjudicator did not say that An Post was wrong but asked if it would reconsider because the size of the community was so close to the cut-off. An Post did reconsider it and the post office was kept open. An Post is certainly open to listening to the adjudicators. That is the process by which businesses can engage. We have to be careful because there are 159 post offices involved and many communities will be affected. We have to be fair to each of them. An Post does not want to prejudice the outcome of any one of those appeals.