Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 379: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his plans to make grant aid available for rural post offices to ensure their computerisation, including the provision of Internet availability to the public; his views on whether this would help address the information divide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33080/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The primary responsibility for the development of the post office network rests with An Post. The automation of the network was completed in 1997 and it has only been 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 further offices have been automated since then.

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 grounds the extension of automation to all offices, regardless of their location or business volumes. Nevertheless, I have asked An Post to undertake a pilot project to automate a selected number of non-automated offices to gauge the effect on new business. Ten post offices have been automated over the past eight weeks and a marketing campaign is under way in the localities where the pilot projects are being undertaken to support the initiative. An Post will gauge the results of the pilot project and the impact of automation on business will be evaluated following the trial period.

With regard to the provision of Internet availability to the public, there are no plans by An Post, at this point, to provide this service to the public through the rural post office network. However, with the roll out of e-government services, the automated element of the post office network is ideally placed to capitalise on opportunities arising in this space, especially in the area of e-payments.

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 customer needs, whether services are provided via post offices, postal agencies or the PostPoint network.