Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)

I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss a matter of national and local importance, namely, the so-called EU third directive, which seeks to fully liberalise the postal service market in Europe by 2009; the potentially disastrous consequences of the directive's implementation, entailing extensive job losses in existing services to be replaced by temporary part-time insecure work and increased costs; the incompatibility of the proposed directive with the universal postal service which provides affordable access for all citizens to quality postal services at uniform tariffs, offering the best prospect for the promotion of the sustainable development of European postal services into the future; and the Hands off my Postman petition being co-ordinated by the Communications Workers Union urging members of the public to articulate their concerns as Irish and European citizens about the so-called third directive.

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