John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

In supporting my colleagues, it is important that I include the trade unions to give proper recognition to the people who actually know the business. They have 100 years of experience representing their members. We do not want to make the mistakes made in other countries. Owing to our unique position in Ireland, we should take cognisance of the fact that we have a lower population per square kilometre than in other European countries, amounting to approximately 58 people per square kilometre as opposed to 140, 160 or 200 people per square kilometre. This reflects on the economy of the postal service. We must be very careful, therefore, in dealing with this Bill to ensure we do not encounter the same difficulties that arose in other European countries. If we do, we will have circumstances similar to those that are obtained in respect of the Royal Mail in the United Kingdom. There is talk in the United Kingdom of selling off the business on the basis of it being unprofitable, but the reality is that all the businesses floated in the United Kingdom, including British Gas, were profitable. People will only invest in entities that are profitable. Where a business is losing money and it has a large pensions deficit, the public will not buy into it. We are heading in the same direction.

The spatial settlement system in this State is almost unique in Europe. In France, for instance, farmers normally live in their local village. Even when one enters a rural area, one is entering an area in which people and settlements are centralised. In Ireland, almost uniquely in Europe, people live on farms in remote locations, adding to the difficulty that exists. We will need to go through the legislation line by line to ensure, in the first instance, that those who enter the market will not cherry-pick the best business and allow An Post, a very stable and necessary business with a social function, to deteriorate. We must not allow that.This is why I believe every section of the Bill will be questioned today. The trade unions that know so much about the postal business must be included specifically.