Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

I move amendment No. 3:

In page 15, lines 33 and 34, to delete "authority for the purposes of the Directive." and substitute the following:

"authority. The Minister shall reserve the right to veto decisions of the Commission where it is deemed to be in the national interest.".

This amendment is self-explanatory. Given that any Minister, in almost all circumstances, would put the national interest before any decision of an outside body like ComReg, we are asking the Minister to take on board our proposal that "the Minister shall reserve the right to veto decisions of the Commission where it is deemed to be in the national interest". This amendment would ensure the interests of the market do not take precedence over the social value of the An Post service, or put that vital public service at risk. We are returning to the previous discussion about the role of An Post. It has a broad social role, rather than a purely economic role. It is important for legislators and the Government to take on board the social aspects of what an organisation like An Post does in rural areas and all other areas. We have spoken about the value of this public service and the contribution it makes. The Opposition is keen to ensure the service is protected and not compromised by market value. More important things than the market need to be considered when it comes to the provision of services to those who are most in need of them and depend on them.

The spirit and principle of this amendment involve the indefinite protection of the postal service. That is why we have tabled it. We either have faith in politics or we do not. We hope the Minister will take that on board. Past regulation in other spheres has not been in the national interest. It is important that services which are provided in the national interest continue to operate as such. We can be proud of the postal service that has been consistently provided across this island. Despite the fact that ComReg will be able to continue to regulate An Post for a further 12 to 20 years, as has been said, I have major worries about the future. I am afraid that the door will be opened to a private company which will cherry-pick the services it wants to provide. This Bill is all about the liberalisation of the postal service and, in the long term, its privatisation. I raised similar fears with the Minister during an Adjournment debate on the ESB. I said on that occasion that the Cahill report needs to be published and we are hoping for a response in that regard.

We believe the liberalisation and privatisation of the postal service would be a significant disadvantage to those who are most need it, including those living in isolated areas who depend on such social contact. If one examines the state of this country's transport and health services, one will find that peripheral areas suffered quickly when liberalisation took place. I appreciate that the Minister has said he hopes to retain the universal nature of the service. We cannot over-estimate the importance of the service provided over the years by An Post and its local offices. I refer particularly to An Post's staff on the ground who visit people each day to deliver letters. The service is of great importance to our communities. That is why we are asking the Minister not only to retain the veto, but also to include it in the Bill.