asked the Minister for Communications whether he has satisfied himself with the cost of postage in Ireland compared to the rest of the EC; and if he has sought information from An Post on the target to be achieved in reducing the differential with European prices during the tenure of the current corporate plan.
Written Answers. - Cost of Postage.
6.
As I indicated in reply to a question on this subject on 15 March 1988, there has been no increase in Irish postal charges since March, 1986 and that, as a result, those charges now compare more favourably with the postal charges of other EC countries. In real terms our postal charges have been reduced by 8 per cent over the past four years. In addition, I am in a postion to state that Irish postal charges will be maintained at existing level at least to the end of 1988.
Our postal charges reflect the operational costs of An Post. The company have introduced a number of measures, including a self-financing staff productivity scheme, aimed at reducing operating costs and improving general efficiency. One of the objectives of An Post is to continue striving for improved productivity in order to minimise costs to its customers.