John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

While the Government believes this financial services strategy is an important element in any plans to secure the long-term viability of the network, it is also keenly aware of the human and social dimension to the post office. It is also clear that other aspects of the relationship between postmasters and An Post need to be addressed. It is for this reason that the Minister decided to appoint Mr. Eamonn Ryan to act as a facilitator between the IPU and An Post to identify issues of mutual concern and plot a road map for how they might be resolved. I know that the union is greatly appreciative of this appointment and it is critically important that both sides engage fully on the issues at stake. Considerable work went into Eamonn Ryan's report, with members of the IPU and An Post identifying issues and looking at remedies. It is imperative that this hard work is not carelessly jettisoned at this stage.

The coming year is a crucial one for the post office network. Everything going well, by early next year the financial services venture should be up and running. This will be an exciting and challenging time for An Post. The new financial services venture represents a new departure for the company in terms of what the post office will offer in this consumer-driven age.

Regarding letter post services and the collection and delivery of mail, the Government recognises the critical importance of having a nationwide, reliable, high quality and efficient postal service. The economy and society at large need a strong and vibrant postal service in the light of the many internationally traded sectors operating in the country. It also needs An Post to be competitive. The Government also believes liberalisation and the expected increase in competition will ultimately be good for both An Post and consumers. An Post operates within a regulatory framework as enshrined in the EU postal directives which set out the requirements for member states regarding the provision of high quality postal services. Both directives have been transposed into Irish law.

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