Matters relating to the postal agencies, including those raised by the Deputy, are an operational matter for the management and Board of An Post and one in which I have no statutory function.Postal agencies were originally introduced in 2002 as a mechanism to facilitate the rationalisation of the network by ensuring that when a Post Office contract was ceased, Department of Social Protection payments continued in the locality. Postal agencies are valued for the commercial benefit of the footfall they bring to the retail business of the contract holder. The postal agency contract provides for the making of Department of Social Protection payments; it provides for no other Post Office services.
In recent years, An Post has ceased establishing any new postal agencies due to the increasing level of security and credit risk associated with them. There are no plans to increase the services available at existing postal agencies. In relation to the future of the post office network including the introduction of new services, I clearly set out my position in the Dáil on 25 February last.