Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 128: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans for the future of the postal service here; the way the current level of service across the country will be protected; the way in which the universal service obligation will be impacted by this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44184/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Government's core policy goal for the postal sector is to ensure that Irish customers, both business and residential, enjoy competitively priced, high quality postal services.

The Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill was recently published with a view to transposing the third Postal Services Directive, which mandates opening the postal market to full competition from 1 January, 2011.

The Bill sets out the regulatory framework for a liberalised postal market, the key principles of which include: · The maintenance of a universal postal service, the essential element of which is the collection and delivery of mail to every address in the State

on every working day. The Bill also designates An Post as the universal

postal service provider;

· The development of a competitive sector providing competitively priced,

high quality postal services to both business and residential customers;

and · The protection of postal service users.

The Government recognises the important role that An Post has played to date, and, in this context, an innovative, successful An Post will play a key role in the development of the wider postal sector.