Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I cannot and would not be able to get the kind of derogation Deputy Joan Collins advocates. It is not consistent with the directive which has been passed. It is not the intention of this Government to privatise An Post. An Post is a State company and it has a place of affection in the hearts of most people. The universal service obligation remains and we do not intend to go down the privatisation route.

I do not dispute what Deputy Healy-Rae said. We had that discussion with Deputies Ferris and Ó Cuív who drew attention during the course of the debate to the importance of the postal service, especially in rural Ireland. Deputy Healy-Rae is right in that the postman calling to a house can certainly be an occasion in the day for people who are isolated. As he put it, the postman is a kind of a social worker. Deputy Ferris had him collecting the messages and bringing them to the person in an isolated community.

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