The Government and An Post share the objectives of maintaining a nationwide post office service and maximising the volume of viable business handled by the post office network.
I have no plans to introduce a subsidy payment to An Post. The long-term future of the post office network can only be secured by meeting the needs of customers. In this regard I have asked the Postmasters Union and An Post to work in partnership with a view to securing existing business and to pursuing new business opportunities, as these arise in the future. To help secure the future of the network, the Government approved an equity injection of €12.7 million for An Post to facilitate the modernisation of the post office network. The equity injection was paid to the company in 2003.
Finally, I understand that An Post is planning a review of the system of remuneration for post office agencies in order to address any issues relating to the attraction of suitable candidates to the network.