Results 4,001-4,020 of 10,460 for speaker:Gerry Horkan
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: Post offices are getting a fee for providing social welfare payments. Do post offices handle the identity verification part of those payments as well?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: To collect social welfare payments.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: During the pandemic, many people’s social welfare payments were paid directly into their banks. What percentage of people-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: That was the identity verification issue to which I was referring.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: Even for those whose payments are being moved electronically into their bank accounts, post office accounts or whatever directly, there is a value in them presenting themselves to post offices-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: -----and the post offices would get a fee. Having to turn up physically would address the allegation that people who had left the country, were now in employment or were doing nixers were still drawing down payments. If post offices were in every community, people would not have to travel long distances to social welfare offices. Is that service provided already?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: As we have seen during the pandemic, the future of pure cash transactions is receding, but there are many other services that the post office could provide. The driver licence service was a missed opportunity and I do not see the post offices being able to get it back, given that the other network has been set up. What other services can post offices provide? I am interested in what they...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: The commission has not been set up yet so there is scope within the commission to involve that. Social welfare represents the post office’s biggest chunk of money. What is the next biggest payer of the bills of post offices?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: Where is the State savings in that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: Is there another 30% in BillPay?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: At this stage, do mails comprise mostly of parcels?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: It only arises when someone is sending a package to a son or daughter in Australia or America.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: This revenue stream has reduced mostly from €17 million to €12 million.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: Various services such as Postbank came and went. Are there any proposals from An Post as an entity in this regard? I acknowledge I am putting that to IPU officials. Postbank existed but did it then die?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: The post office comprises the withdrawals, lodgements and the cheque clearing. Have An Post or the union had any discussions with Bank of Ireland or AIB about this? I get the impression that the banks would love to leave retail banking, or certainly reduce their footprint significantly, and have done this.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: To conclude, because I am conscious of time as other members wish to contribute, but what else can this committee do and what government services does the IPU want the Government to give to the union that it does not have? Is it the electoral register, more social welfare, verification of jobseekers’, or what else? Can the union give me a list of five services it wants and let us go...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: With the greatest respect, they all sound a bit vague. Can the union tell me that it wishes to do A, B, C and D? Is it identity verification for jobseekers?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: Is it form filling for passports or driver's licences? Can the union give the committee a list that it wants and let us prepare a report and send it to each relevant Department, be it the Departments of Social Protection, Transport, Public Expenditure and Reform, or whichever else?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: When was that done because I am relatively new to this committee? Was that done three years or three months ago?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)
Gerry Horkan: Yes, we can follow that up as time is of the essence. My last point is-----