David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

I am as astounded about the Minister's position on these issues, and that of his party, as the Minister is about Fianna Fáil's position on them. His party has flipped on a range of issues in recent weeks and months. It has been breathtaking. I would like to return to the point the Minister made about the changing nature of An Post. He was right to say people are writing fewer letters. One of the fruits of the increased use of the Internet and e-mail is that people are ordering more items online. People buy clothes, CDs, DVDs and other products from a host of websites. The opportunity such activity presents to An Post negates much of the loss of business that has resulted from the decrease in traditional letter writing. The Minister needs to show some vision by considering how he can support An Post to take advantage of that activity through parcel deliveries, etc. The Minister should help the company to avail of the opportunities that present themselves as the market changes.

It is good enough to say the break-up or privatisation of An Post might happen simply because people are sending fewer letters. We need to support An Post and make sure the opportunities that exist are grasped. We need to ensure it has the resources and abilities it needs to be capable of adapting its operations in a way that reflects the changing nature of the market. My family buys much more on the Internet than it would have done in the past. The changes happening every day are leading to opportunities for the future. The Minister needs to reflect on that when he talks about An Post's possibilities.