Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

We could give a statutory basis to the pivotal role the postman plays in providing social fabric for the elderly population of rural Ireland through assistance and daily calls. If the postman was given extra resources to make a call to every house on a daily basis, rather than just those he must visit with the mail, it would provide a sense of security to the elderly and the Department of Social and Family affairs could examine this.

I support Senator Boyle's proposal to have a rural services Bill enacted in the Houses of the Oireachtas because it would be hugely beneficial to rural Ireland, including my county of Donegal, to set its needs on a statutory footing. I wish An Post well because I know what it is trying to achieve and I feel we must support the company. Last week's ruling in the European Court of Justice will assist the Government and An Post in reaching out to the pensioners of Ireland and those in receipt of social welfare.

E-mails and texts are providing new types of competition to postal services that we have not considered and people are no longer sending letters as they would have in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Competition is greater yet letter delivery has increased 8% in the past year and this is to be welcomed because it shows the confidence people have in the system. Reference has been made to snail mail but people are still using it instead of the Internet and other methods of communication.

I support the Government's amendment to the motion, though the Opposition's motion is to be welcomed because it allows us to have a wide-ranging discussion on the postal service and on proposals for its future. It also gives us the opportunity to welcome the work An Post is doing and make reference to its efforts, in conjunction with Departments, to provide much needed services in rural Ireland.