Vol. 449 No. 4
32 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the proposals, if any, he has for the establishment of further joint venture projects involving An Post; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3767/95]
The situation has not changed significantly since my predecessor replied to a similar question on 22 June 1994. Briefly, the position is that the establishment of joint venture projects involving An Post is, in the first instance, a matter for the board and management of the company. Since its establishment in 1984, the company has shown a capacity and willingness to expand into new areas of activity appropriate to its core business, as is apparent by its involvement in ventures such as the national lottery, The Prize Bond Company and PostGEM Ltd, its subsidiary operating in the electronic mail market.
In its efforts to protect its current revenue base and generate new revenues, An Post is committed to the development of new services and business opportunities, the most recent being the establishment of a joint venture company, Printpost Ltd, which commenced operations in September, 1994. This company provides customers with high volume electronic printing and enveloping services for the production of documents such as invoices and statements.
