McCartney calls for improvements to cross border postal service
Published: 2 September, 2010
Sinn Féin Foyle MLA Raymond McCartney has called for the two main postal service providers that operate in Ireland to work together to improve the cross border postal service.
Raymond McCartney said:
"Despite the fact we all live on one small island, postal consumers in the north face an average delivery time of between two and three working days when posting or receiving mail from the south. Urgent action must be taken to improve the speed, reliability and cost effectiveness of the cross-border postal service, which in turn could make a significant contribution to the ease at which business is carried out across the island.
"I am calling on the main postal service providers, Royal Mail and An Post, and their respective Regulators, Postcomm and ComReg, to work together to provide a faster, more consumer-driven service, which reflects the demands of today's postal consumer and the importance of a more effective postal service in developing the economy through cross-border trade.
"A recent survey revealed that while four out of five consumers and two in three businesses expressed general satisfaction with the cross-border mail service, many felt the service should be significantly improved.
"What is clear is that cross-border mail plays an important role in the social and economic life of many consumers and businesses. Along with telecommunications and transport, mail is an integral part of the essential communication infrastructure, which supports the growing economic and social interaction between the north and the south.
"The performance of the existing mail service, while satisfying European interstate targets, is unambitious, and does not meet the reasonable expectations of many consumers and businesses, or match adequately our local circumstances."
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