John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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All that makes sense. Again, it is logical from the cost savings. However, someone from a post office or the Irish Postmasters Union might make the case that we all believe in choice but that an active campaign or system is under way within the Department to contact people on these schemes to remind them that there is this option. The postmasters are asking whether we can slow it down until they can work something out with a new system they have proposed, because it is having quite an effect on the bottom line of post offices.

I understand where the Department is coming from as far as choice is concerned, but there is an active system within the Department to contact people. I have before me a news report from March stating that 7,000 letters were sent out reminding people or pointing out that this new system of payment was available to them. The spokesman said the Department would send out hundreds more letters. This is going to continue.

Ms O'Donoghue has outlined the policy but I am unsure whether it deals with the public interest balance that we are trying to meet. There is political rhetoric about saving a post office network while, understandably, at the same time there is a cost savings imperative on the part of the Department and the question of giving people a choice. At the same time, it is concerning when it comes to the post office network.