Written answers

Wednesday, 2 February 2005

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Post Office Network

9:00 pm

Photo of Michael LowryMichael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 234: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his proposals for the 1,400 post offices in An Post; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3174/05]

Photo of Michael LowryMichael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 235: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his views on the postmasters union proposals for the post office network; his plans to ensure that the current post office network remains operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3175/05]

Photo of Noel DempseyNoel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 235 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 has been actively pursuing a number of opportunities in both the public and private sectors, with some success. For example, various banking and bill payment service contracts have been secured and new services in these areas are available at the post office counter.

To date, An Post has introduced new service delivery models in order to improve access to post office services. There are 1000 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 over 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.

I have met with the Irish Postmasters Union and listened with interest to their proposals for the future of the post office network. I have urged both An Post management and the Irish Postmasters Union to work together to continue to retain and develop customer driven services, which is ultimately the way to secure the future of the network.

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