Craic On

An Post

Labour Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, has claimed that the new Social Welfare and Pensions Bill will strengthen An Post’s position in the delivery of services to the community which are of crucial importance to rural areas and many suburbs and towns.

She also welcomed the award to An Post of a 6 year contract for delivery of cash payment services for her Department. Starting in January the contract will run until 2021.

Martin Farren

Explaining the rationale behind the contract, local Labour councillor, Martin Farren, said that EU competition law prohibits any government from awarding open-ended contracts to service providers. The contract for cash services had to go to open tender. An Post was successful in its bid and has been awarded a two-year contract with options for annual extensions for a further 4 years.

“This contract will give An Post some certainty for the medium term and will give it the opportunity to build further services in the future. The Irish Postmasters’ Union is also in discussion with Labour Minister of Communications, Pat Rabbitte, to develop new services to be delivered by local Post Offices.

“This is a lifeline for rural post offices but it is still very much up to local communities to support their post offices and to actively engage with any new services being provided by them. If we want to claim them as “our post offices” then we must protect them by using them.”