An Post is “a big employer in Galway” but any liberalisation of the postal market could result in many An Post jobs being lost, something Galway and Ireland does not need right now.
This is the view of the Mayor of Galway Michael J Crowe, who said he has serious concerns over the liberalisation of the postal market, following proposals to open up the postal market to private operators in 2011.
“I am totally against the proposal,” he said. “ An Post should be allowed to function as the primary deliverer of post throughout Ireland.”
He pointed out that An Post is a profitable company which “has not received one cent of tax payers’ money”. He also said it is “a big employer in Galway” and as such he would be concerned for the future of these jobs should liberalisation go ahead”.
Mayor Crowe is also concerned that private operators will not carry out the job of postal service to the high standards that are expected.
“In my view what will happen is that they would cherry pick certain areas and leave the rest to the public bodies,” he said. “Private operators will pick large urban areas like Galway city to deliver and not bother will rural places.
“This could result in the rural areas only receiving post every second or third day or else the tax payer having to subsidise this part of the service. The tax payer has enough to pay for, without adding further burdens. The rural areas such as outside of towns and a lot of Connemara, etc, would be the biggest losers.”
He also said there was a social dimension to the issue. “The elderly enjoy their daily interaction with the postmen and many of the elderly feel a sense of security in dealing with them,” he said.
As a result, Mayor Crowe is launching a web campaign to prevent any liberalisation of the market.
“I am launching a web site www.saveour post.com and am asking people, local and national, to sign the petition on it so that we can present it to the Minister for Communications in a few weeks time,” he said.
Mayor Crowe believes that “people power speaks the loudest” and that the public does not have to meekly “accept whatever we have been told”.
“We are in a new era,” he said, “now and as mayor, I along with the people’s help will take on the big guns in Dublin and Europe on this issue
