Vol. 504 No. 5
143 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans, if any, he has for the removal of the contract for social welfare payments from the post office system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12319/99]
The bulk of social welfare payments are delivered in cash at post offices. The contract for this service between my Department and An Post is due to expire at the end of this year.
As the Deputy knows, public procurement obligations, including EU obligations, require that business of this kind be offered to the market by way of open competitive tender.
Neither I nor my Department has any strategy to remove this business from post offices. An Post is well aware of the legal requirements in this regard and I have no doubt that it will compete very effectively for the payments delivery business.
