Jimmy Devins (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Durkan for tabling this Private Members' motion. It is timely for several reasons, not least of which is the fact that An Post is coming into its busiest time of the year. Like most Members, I have had regular meetings with members of the Irish Postmasters Union, who have kept us informed on a regular basis of the difficulties facing their members in maintaining a reasonable payment for the work they do. There is no doubt that many of them are finding it increasingly difficult to earn a reasonable livelihood for their work. The reasons for this are multi-factorial and need not be restated. Suffice to say that many postmasters and postmistresses are struggling to make ends meet.

There is a long history of poor industrial relations at An Post. The eventual resolution of these difficulties in late 2005 was welcome and I commend the Minister for his part in this. I was glad this led to all staff, particularly the pensioners, being paid retrospectively in October.

However, the post office network faces many problems in 2007. Much of the business done through the network may be lost, in particular social welfare payments. This work accounts for a considerable amount of income available to An Post. Should it be lost, the future of the post office network will be in danger.

Not all post offices are the same. Many, approximately 1,000, are automated and, as such, are in a good position to face the future, be it in traditional areas of post office work or new areas such as banking. I welcome the joint venture with An Post and the Belgian bank, Fortis, which will see a wide range of banking services rolled out between March and July 2007. Approximately 400 branches, however, are not automated and are frequently located in small towns and villages. Occasionally a non-automated branch is found in a larger centre of population. Up to 97.5% of An Post's business is done through automated branches while only 2.5% is done in the 400 non-automated branches. Recently, as apart of a pilot project, ten smaller offices were automated and the resulting business is being monitored very carefully. If it shows an increase in business, moves will be instituted to make the whole network automated as soon as possible.

There is a social dimension to the business of An Post, especially when one considers the implications of not having a post office in a small village. Apart from the usual business transactions, many elderly people use the trip to the post office as a social focus for their week. I know post offices do not exist for this reason alone. In this day of making the books balance, the social dimension is often overlooked. While the network embraces change, the dedication and commitment made by postmasters and postmistresses must be recognised, in particular the value of the post office to the community it serves.

I commend the Government amendment to the House.

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