Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 441: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has any plans to introduce an intergovernmental group to be put in place for the benefit of post office networks following the publication of the Grant Thornton report [36152/12]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 443: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he intends establishing an interdepartmental group to look at recommendations from the independent report published by Irish Postmasters Union and their sustainability into the future. [36375/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 441 and 443 together.

Operational matters and the role of developing commercial strategies for the post office network are a matter for the management and Board of An Post and one in which I have no statutory function.

As shareholder, however, I do have a strong concern in relation to the ongoing commercial position of the Company and I regularly liaise with the Company in this regard. An Post has many strengths and has the largest retail presence in the country. I have impressed on the Company the need to further exploit its unique position in this regard and have been supportive of its attempts to diversify its income streams and to win a wider range of commercial contracts offering higher margins.

I recently met with the Irish Postmasters Union (IPU), who presented me with a copy of the Grant Thornton report, The future of the Post Office Network in Ireland, which focuses on growing the business to make the network more sustainable. I have read and considered this report and found it both positive and ambitious.

In the context of the public sector transformation agenda I will continue to engage with my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to consideration, as appropriate, of the post office network for transactional elements of the business of Government Departments and Agencies and have stressed to my Government colleagues that the network is ideally configured for over the counter transactions. I do not, however, consider it necessary to establish an Inter-Departmental Group in relation to this or the recommendations of the report from the IPU.

Overall, it is Government policy that An Post remains a strong and viable company, in a position to provide a high quality, nationwide postal service and maintain a nationwide customer focused network of post offices.