Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 413: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will address the needs of the Irish Postmasters Union and improve facilities throughout the country for the 1400 post offices. [1364/05]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 423: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his proposals in regard to the Irish Postmasters Union proposal to ensure that the 1400 offices in the post office network continue to operate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1602/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 413 and 423 together.

The Government is committed to a viable and sustainable nationwide rural post office network providing a range of services to meet consumer needs. The Government has already made an equity injection of €12.7 million into the network in 2003 to facilitate modernisation measures. Furthermore, the Government has strongly supported An Post initiatives such as the channelling of new utility and banking services through the network.

I am exploring with An Post the bringing forward of further initiatives to continue underpinning our network of rural post offices. In this regard, the company is actively pursuing a number of options in both the public and private sectors. To date, An Post has introduced new service delivery models in order to improve access to post office services. There are 1,000 automated post offices, 475 non- automated post offices, 160 postal agencies and An Post has established 3,000 postpoint outlets in retail premises of which 600 can be used for bill payment.

The automated network accounts for more than 95% of An Post's counter business. This means that the 1,000 automated offices transact 95% of counter business while 475 non-automated offices undertake 5% of business. This figure clearly illustrates the level of business transacted by individual non-automated offices. The current level of automated coverage is considered by An Post to be extremely comprehensive by any objective standard and this level of coverage makes it difficult to justify on either customer-service or economic ground the extension of automation to all offices, regardless of their location or business volumes.

Automation of the post office network was completed in 1997. It is, therefore, only in very exceptional circumstances, such as an existing automated office closing and its equipment being transferred to a suitable neighbouring location which transacts significant volumes of welfare business, that offices are automated today.

A core objective for An Post continues to be the retention of access to post office services in as many locations as possible, in the manner which best meets consumer needs, whether services are provided via post offices, postal agencies or the postpoint network.