Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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I welcome the delegates and thank them for their presentations. We have all encountered these issues in our constituencies and there is a good deal of frustration that despite the various assessments made and reports, very little action is evident in towns and villages throughout the State. Under European competition rules, the €30 million in new funding must be given as a loan which will be subject to oversight. Will Mr. McRedmond explain how the money will be spent and its proposed effect in practice? Several postmasters have told me that, as far as they can see, its function will be to offer them an incentive to close their post office and get out of the system. Will the CEO outline the purposes to which the funding will be put?

The last time we discussed these issues with Mr. McRedmond, we agreed to support the removal of the price cap on stamps. Since that was done, the volume of transactions has reduced. Like Deputy Brian Stanley, I wonder whether the measure has proved to be counterproductive.

I am concerned about the reduction in the number of postal delivery staff. In County Tipperary, for example, we are set to lose 15 permanent staff and another 15 or so contract workers. What is puzzling is that these staff reductions were to be implemented on 1 December. Why would any organisation choose to implement a reduction in the number of front-line staff at the busiest time of the year for its business? An Post has put the move on hold until early January, but the original decision made no sense and leads one to question management's judgment.

In his submission Mr. McRedmond states management is in advanced negotiations with the Irish Postmasters Union on the future of the service. How many times have we heard the same? What is the status of the negotiations? What is the cut-off date for their completion and the expected outcome of the process? There is a great deal of concern, anxiety and uncertainty. Whatever the overall plan which, in any case, seems to be changing all the time, it is certainly not being communicated to postmasters and not coming through to the customer base. As a public representative, I am still wondering, even after all of the discussions, evaluations and reports, what the outcome will be.