Postmasters await ballot on future of postal network

Seamus Enright
A ballot to consider the deal struck with An Post by the Irish Postmasters' Union (IPU) on the future of the network will be sent to members later this week, who have until May 11 to complete their response.
It follows a recent An Post report, which concluded that less than one in three post offices nationwide are viable.
For the likes of Annette Smith, postmistress in Mountnugent, she remains fiercely committed to the needs of the community the local post offices serves. “We'd all be like that,” says Ms Smith, who was not among the large gathering to hear details of the proposed deal in Tullamore at the weekend.
But Ms Smith told The Anglo-Celt that she eagerly awaits receiving a briefing. “Hopefully we can continue to do as we have been. Our hope is to continue serving the community here for as long as possible.”
Postmasters contacted by the Celt at several other post offices located in rural areas across the county, meanwhile, declined to comment on the matter. One, who asked not to be named, said for some the crux would be in seeing first what “deal” might be made available to members.
The meeting of postmasters in Co Offaly came soon after the An Post organisation reported an operating profit of €8.4m for 2017, a remarkable turnaround from recording a loss of €12.4m in 2016.
According to some reports, up to 2,000 jobs could have to be cut throughout the An Post network over the coming years if the organisation is to meet benchmarks to achieve modernisation.
Speaking on RTÉ's 'This Week', An Post Chief Executive David McRedmond said he expects this figure to be "considerably less" than the 2,000 suggested.
The agreement between An Post and the IPU follows three months of intensive negotiations under the guidance of Turlough O’Donnell SC.

Commitments
An Post's 'New vision' report on the modernisation of the network had stated that more than two thirds of post offices are not viable.
But the deal involves a €50m investment in the network nationally, as well as a “minimum guarantee of coverage” for customers, as previously committed to by An Post.
This includes having a post office for every community of more than 500 people, as well as ensuring that 95% of a local population is within 15km of a post office.
In more urban and built-up areas, the distances is 3km and, to achieve this, up to 20 new post offices are expected to be opened to meet these requirements.

'Digital Assit'
An Post, meanwhile, is to develop a concept of ‘Digital Assist’ to provide access for people to a wide range of Government services. Funding of €80,000 has been provided to help with rolling out the pilot scheme at 10 post office locations in the coming weeks.
While the deal was welcomed, local politicians did however reiterate the need to maintain a network of post offices in rural areas.
“While there will be no compulsory closures, it’s clear that these post offices will be left to wither on the vine and die as they will not have sufficient transactions to make them look viable to senior management,” said Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Niamh Smyth.
“This would be a body blow for rural communities who are already seeing reductions in a wide range of essential services. It’s not just post offices that will be affected. There are countless other businesses and services in rural Ireland that rely heavily on a local post office to keep going,” she said.
Irish Rural Link – the national network representing the interest of rural communities also sought clarity on what the deal meant for small communities. They said of the distance rule in particular: “This will continue to make it difficult for such households to access a post office. It places a lot of people at a disadvantage and a distance away from their nearest post office. It will impact most on older and vulnerable groups of people living in rural areas.”
Cavan Fine Gael Senator Joe O’Reilly, meanwhile, welcomed the committed €50 million investment in growing and modernising the post office network.
He said the announcement represents a “positive first step” in the journey of reinvigorating the national post office network, adding that “making it a viable service that meets the needs of communities across the country, particularly in rural areas here in Cavan.
“This represents a major milestone and shows that by working together An Post, the IPU and postmasters, along with government support, a viable and sustainable future for the post office network can be delivered.”