Postal Bill could have West Clare impact

WEST Clare Fine Gael Councillor Gabriel Keating is fearful that the 2010 Postal Bill could leave people living in isolated areas without any postal deliveries. The bill proposes to liberalise the postal delivery service in the coming years.

“This is just another attack on rural people. First, we had the loss of the rural post office and now our postal delivery service is threatened. The postmen and women do a fantastic job, especially in rural areas. Rain, hail or snow they make sure that post is delivered through everybody’s front door, no matter where that person lives.
“They are an integral part of the social fabric of our rural communities. People in rural areas, especially elderly people, build up a very personal relationship with their postman or woman. During this cold spell, very often the postman or woman is the only contact that elderly person has with the outside world,” Councillor Keating claimed.
“The fear here is that if liberalisation goes ahead, providers will just pick and serve delivery routes as they like and that they will not be bothered delivering to remote isolated areas,” he predicted.
The Communications Workers Union (CWU), the union representing staff at An Post, has claimed that up to 10,000 jobs are under threat as a result of new legislation allowing for liberalisation of the postal market. The CWU said the bill, published earlier this month in the Seanad, would also undermine daily deliveries throughout the State, particularly in rural areas.