Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

Sometimes I wonder whether they come in here blindly and oppose for the sake of opposition.

I genuinely believe we will fail in our duty as legislators if we do not consider this Bill on behalf of the workers and service users. We have a very fine postal system and staff. The latter do more than just deliver mail. In many cases, the postman is the only person certain individuals meet in the week. Therefore, it is important, in debating this legislation, that we be cognisant of the mistakes made in other jurisdictions, such as those made by the Royal Mail in England.

I hope the urban-rural divide will be addressed by preventing cherry-picking. We must consider the way in which An Post can reinvent itself and make itself more relevant in a more modern Ireland in which there is a growing move towards technology. The Bill, in bringing about competition, will provide a better service to the users in all communities.

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