An Post chief warns more change on way
CEO says ‘15km closure rule’ can’t be guaranteed
AN Post chief David McRedmond yesterday admitted that he cannot guarantee everyone will be within 15km of a post office.
Just 24 hours earlier, the postal firm had published the locations of 159 offices that will close by January and stated all of them are within 15km of another post office.
It also insisted the offices being closed serve a maximum of 500 people. However, Mr McRedmond yesterday told RTÉ Radio that they had left the door open to future changes.
‘What we’ve looked at is we have to make sure that we’re offering a [service] where it is viable and that is why we are saying a cut-off point of a population of 500 people,’ he said.
Asked if he could change the mileage to post offices or the amount of people they serve, he said on Morning Ireland: ‘The world always changes, it is not our intention to do that.’
The closure plan came as part of a postmasters voluntary redundancy package.
Asked if he would try to get more postmasters to take up the offer, Mr McRedmond said: ‘No, this is the programme and we’ve no plan to do another programme. We will always change the shape in the network.’
An Post faced criticism over the planned closures yesterday as a result of fears that some people may face a 30km round trip to post a letter or collect a pension.
Mr McRedmond defended the plan by stating that this round of closures only affects 3.7% of customers, and that the savings will mean better services for everyone. ‘The percentage of customers affected is 3.7%,’ he added. ‘96% of people will have better post office services.
‘The 3.7% we’d argue will also have better post office services but they will have to travel a bit further.
‘What we’re doing is the opposite of an attack on rural Ireland.
‘What we’re putting in place is a plan and a strategy to make sure that there is an excellent post office service throughout Ireland for all the years ahead and that is why we are making the changes we are making now.
‘We’ve done everything to make sure that rural communities in particular are well served and that is what we are planning.’
He added the changes weren’t all about closures and that An Post will announce the opening of five new post offices in rural areas of Carlow, Cork, Louth, Meath, and Sligo later in the week.
Labour TD and rural affairs spokesman Willie Penrose warned that the closures will cause further rural job losses.
‘Post offices are a necessary service and job provider, which help keep rural communities viable places to live and work,’ he said.
Mr Penrose added that people who wish to appeal the closure of their local post office can do so before an independent two-person panel.
96% of people will have better service