Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Postal services play an important communications role, serving the needs of domestic and business customers alike. However, the postal sector is undergoing systemic change with migration towards electronic communications, resulting in significant core mail volume decline year-on-year. It is Government policy that An Post remain a strong and viable company, in a position to provide a high quality postal service and maintain a nationwide customer focused network of post offices in the community. The post office network has many strengths and can play an important role in the communications sector into the future. For example, it has the largest retail network in the country and was fully computerised some years ago. As a result, it can fill a vital role in the nationwide provision of over-the-counter services to the public, State services and other financial and commercial transactions.

In recognition of the changing commercial environment, I established the Post Office network business development group in January of this year to examine the potential from existing and new Government and commercial business that could be transacted through the post office network, as well as identifying new business opportunities for the network. I am firmly of the opinion that the work of the group is key to supporting the future sustainability of the network, which point I made to the postmasters at their annual meeting on 3 May last. The initial report of the group, published today, will now be opened up to consultation, the results of which will contribute to the final report in due course.

I envisage a strong future for the post office network, through utilisation of its existing strengths to remain a significant player in the provision of government, financial and other services.

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