• The Government is fully committed to the post office network
• Speaking at the Irish Postmasters’ Union Annual Conference
Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Killiney.
Speaking at the Irish Postmasters’ Union’s Annual Conference today Communications Minister, Pat Rabbitte, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the post office network.
The Minister stressed the importance of a strong network of post offices and said “I have written to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in the context of the Government’s reform agenda for the public service and have drawn attention to the potential range of additional services which could be run through the post office network. I continue to remind my Cabinet colleagues of the benefits of using the network for Government business.”
The post office network extends to almost 1,150 outlets and reaches almost 1.7 million customers. The Minister said that there is much at stake in keeping post offices open for business in the coming years. “In addition to generating new lines of business, it is also important to retain existing contracts. The Department of Social Protection contract and the National Treasury Management Agency contracts comprise most of the revenue of the post office network and I know that retention of these contracts is key for the business. They are a vital component of revenue for the company and for over the counter transactions in the network.”
The Minister referenced the move in the financial services industry towards increasing electronic handling of all kinds of financial services, with a consequent reduction in cash business. This is a trend that will continue to develop and expand in the future, he said. “In recognition of the move from cash to card, An Post has undertaken a programme of capital investment and work in recent years which has resulted in the computerisation of all post offices. The move to a more cashless society will also enable a rethinking and redesigning of the layout and the opening hours of post offices.”
He noted the changing nature of the role of the local post office. Already, the post office is more and more of a one-stop-shop, where bills can be paid, foreign exchange bought, mobile phones topped up, passport applications expressly transmitted, together with a range of banking and other financial services. Recently, the opportunity to pay the local property tax at the post office was secured.
According to the Minister, “One area where real progress is being made is the capacity of the post office network to become front offices for the banks and the insurance business. Indeed, last year there were approximately 3 million banking transactions processed through the post office network.”
The Minister concluded by saying “It will be a combination of An Post driving forward strategic opportunities for the network coupled with the valuable front line experience of the Postmasters which will deliver the changing face of the post office counter services. In turn this will help retain the faith of customers to come back time and time again for a high quality, efficient, comprehensive and, above all, personal touch of a locally led business community service.”