Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss this important matter. I call on the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to outline the actions he proposes to take to resolve the impending postal dispute. Thousands of members of the Communications Workers Union will protest outside Leinster House tomorrow.

This is a serious issue. There will be a strike tomorrow and the postal service will come to a standstill, which will create serious difficulty for the elderly, social welfare recipients, small businesses and people who want to send Christmas cards. The Minister should intervene in the dispute as quickly possible, although I acknowledge work is going on behind the scenes.

The board of An Post decided in July to close the SDS division. The CWU has asked for a stay on the closure because its financial consultants examined the rationale behind the decision and found that SDS revenue should be higher and, consequently, its losses should be reduced. They want a stay on the closure until an independent party has been brought in to review the decision. I am concerned that the rural delivery postal network will be destroyed. It is a tremendous service and I am afraid it will be undermined.

The Government has intervened on a number of occasions in disputes at CIE and Bus Éireann. European law does not allow governments to support postal services but the British Government has invested more than £300 million in its rural postal network. A two-tier postal service is not needed but the Minister, An Post management and the unions must come together to address this serious issue. The Government cannot intervene per se but the Minister is working behind the scenes and I wish him well. The Government should find some way to provide funding.

The non-payment of a national pay agreement increase to the CWU workers is a sticking point. Everybody in the company is in it together and I cannot believe the workers have been overlooked for this payment. I hope this will be resolved as soon as possible.