Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Mooney for sharing time.

I share many of the concerns of others. If we learn anything from the economic crisis, it is that one size does not fit all. While it is idealistically admirable that we should seek to replicate laws throughout the EU and that has many positives, the transposition of this directive in different countries has proven one size does not suit all. I hope that with this among the few Bills that remain to be enacted in the lifetime of this Government, given the announcement of an imminent election following the budget, instead of the normal set piece scenario, the Minister will take on board the legitimate cross-party concerns mentioned throughout the debate relating to the universal service obligation, cherry picking or cream skimming of services and downstream access. All these issues have to be addressed.

Senator Mooney and others mentioned the Finnish model and how it has managed to secure the protection of jobs while, at the same time, providing a universal service and ensuring the same price is applied to send mail to all parts of the country. Cherry picking should not be encouraged and, for that reason, I am hopeful the Minister will ensure amendments are made to be the Bill to protect the public by ensuring services are maintained or improved with the same professionalism as is currently the case and ensuring the many jobs in the postal service are also protected. It is possible to make improvements to the current system and I am sure the legislation will seek to do that but many legitimate issues have been raised about ensuring companies cannot come in and cherry pick post offices and delivery routes in order that for example, they can choose the Ballsbridge run because it is easy while ignoring routes in which Senator Mooney and I would have an interest in counties Sligo and Leitrim. I hope the Minister will take on board these concerns between now and Committee Stage when the meat of the Bill will be debated and will focus on the fact that one size does not fit all. It is appropriate to examine this legislation in an Irish context. The mistakes made in transposing the directive in Germany and the UK resulted in significant unemployment in the postal sector. We must learn from that while also recognising the many benefits that accrued from the implementation of the Finnish model.

I hope that can be done. Despite the fact that the media choose to ignore this House on a consistent basis, as referred to on the Order of Business earlier, many postal workers are looking at this debate live on the Internet. I thank them for doing so and I hope their concerns, as reflected by us, will be embraced and the directive will be transposed in a uniquely Irish context, which protects jobs while improving service, and which does not provide an opportunity for cherry picking and the other dangers experienced in other countries.