John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 80: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the communication he has had with the Irish Postmasters' Union over the ongoing closure of national post offices; the implications of the IPU's withdrawal of support for the introduction of the new financial services package in post offices; and the communication his Department has had with Fortis and An Post in this regard. [5361/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Issues in relation to both postmasters and post office closures are, in the first instance, matters for the board and management of An Post and ones in which I have no statutory function. Despite this I have met with the IPU on a number of occasions as have some of my cabinet colleagues in recent times. I also addressed the IPU Annual Conference in 2005 and 2006. The Government has been, and continues to be, committed to the objective of securing and maintaining the largest economically sustainable post office network possible. This extends to the postmasters whose financial security and strong relationship with customers are vital to the continued viability of the network.

Last September, Government approval was secured for An Post to enter a joint venture agreement with Belgian Bank, Fortis, to set up a retail banking business. Key to the Government approval of this joint venture was that it not only offers a real opportunity for the growth and development of An Post and the post office network but that it will, in time, greatly benefit the income streams of postmasters. I would therefore urge the IPU to reconsider the position it has taken in this regard as the successful roll-out of the joint venture is of great importance to the future viability of the post office network and improving the welfare of the postmasters by providing an alternative source of income.

In order to facilitate discussions between postmasters and An Post, I appointed Eamonn Ryan to examine issues of mutual concern and to propose a plan for their resolution. I would therefore urge all parties to engage in negotiations in a positive manner with a view to reaching a mutually agreeable outcome.