Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is Government policy that An Post remains a strong, viable company in a position to provide a high quality, nationwide postal service and that it maintains a nationwide, customer focused network of post offices in the community. However, the An Post group lost €13.7 million in 2016, with the core mail business losing over €30 million. An Post has entered a period of structural change and decline in activity mainly due to the impact of e-substitution on mail volumes and post office transactions. The environment in which An Post operates is changing and the network needs to change to thrive, particularly with the move to digital transactions. This involves harnessing existing strengths, such as its trusted brand and the relationship of postmasters with individual communities, to build the network of the future. There will be opportunities to develop new or enhanced product lines for the network and I am keen that this would include the concept of digital assist whereby the post office would become a default option for the provision of Government services for those who are not comfortable in the digital space.

The post office plays an important role in serving the needs of business and domestic customers alike and this is at the forefront of An Post’s mandate. I am acutely conscious of the value placed by communities in both rural and urban areas on services provided by post offices and am concerned to ensure that the needs of those communities continue to be met. Government remains fully committed to a sustainable post office network which it sees as a key piece of economic and social infrastructure for both rural and urban areas. 

In response to the challenges it is facing a strategic review of An Post, including the post office network, which will identify the changes and restructuring necessary to maintain the company on a sound financial footing was initiated and is nearing completion. All opportunities are being assessed by An Post in the context of that strategic review. 

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