Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

An ongoing debate is taking place within the House and throughout the country on the future of An Post and its staff. An Post has a considerable linkage system in place throughout the country which consists of a delivery service that is in touch with all aspects of society. It has post offices and sub-post offices located strategically and in such a way as to enable An Post to use its infrastructure to deliver services and facilities on an ongoing basis. Unfortunately, the postal and packaging services came unstuck and industrial action almost had to take place.

At a recent meeting of the Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, it was revealed that there are very poor industrial relations between management and staff and there is no investment in improving them. Will the Minister try to ensure that postal services in the form of distribution and packaging are continued into the foreseeable future? He should take full advantage of the situation with a view to ensuring that the continuity of the postal services is agreed. Owing to time constraints, it was not possible to get answers to a series of questions put by Members at the recent committee meeting. The time between now and when the committee next meets should be put to good use given that this is an important service that has delivered to all parts of the country and has become a vital institution.

I cannot understand why the parcel service must be discontinued at a time when the demand for parcel delivery services is increasing not just in this country but throughout the world. A notion seems to have become prevalent that with new electronic systems of messaging distribution there will be no necessity in the future for the old fashioned postal services. As I told the committee meeting yesterday, certain things cannot be transmitted electronically and one of them is a parcel, despite the best efforts of modern technology. It is imperative that every effort is made to secure the existing parcel delivery service and to develop that service. At the same time, every effort must be made to retain the current network of post offices and sub-post offices throughout the country. They have given good service.

I was a Member of this House when the legislation establishing An Post was passed. It provided for the transfer of civil servants from the Civil Service to An Post. That legislation provided that the staff transferred would, in terms of remuneration and pensions, have an entitlement equal to that available to their colleagues in the Civil Service. At some stage, the lines got blurred and somebody decided that the responsibility would be transferred to the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. However, that Minister must also have regard to the 1983 legislation.

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