As if we didn’t have enough fluffy bunnies flying around Facebook, it looks like there might be a spike in those adorable little creatures on your timeline come Christmas 2017, as people drift away from posting the old-fashioned Christmas card, and go digital instead. Maureen, a listener to Today with Sean O’Rourke, might well be one of those people.
“This finishes me with Christmas cards. It is outrageous to charge one euro for an Irish Stamp. I usually send €80 on Christmas cards. I won’t be ripped off anymore.”
Maureen was one of the many listeners who lit up Sean O’Rourke’s text screen during an interview with An Post Chief Executive, David McRedmond, this morning. She, amongst others, was decidedly unimpressed with news that the basic postage stamp is set to rise from 72 cents to €1, as An Post seeks to put itself on a firm financial footing for the future.
Another nail in the coffin of analog? This time, the analog Christmas card? Surely not.
The legislation for the abolition of a cap on the price of stamps will come before President Michael D Higgins very soon to be signed into law. And although the change in price represents a 38% increase, according to David McRedmond, “it is absolutely necessary, because like all postal operators in Europe, post/mail values are declining. They have declined nearly 50% in most countries… At one Euro, it is still a very good value service.”
Mr McRedmond says the company faces additional problems which it hopes to address in a restructuring plan that will most likely see redundancies, although he would not speculate on how many. There will also be closures of post offices across the country, although again, the scale of these closures has yet to be worked out.
“We are going to keep as many post offices open as we can. We are going to consolidate them, and look at co-location.”
With a deficit of around €10 million each year, the company is looking to implement a restructuring plan which, says the chief executive, will guarantee there will be a business there in 10 or 20 years. “We do not want a subsidised post-network. It’s much better that it is stand-alone.”
Apart from that headline figure, the basic stamp costing €1, there will also be increases for parcels.
And so, back to that text screen.
“What about all of us who have families abroad. It will be much more expensive to send parcels. We will change to transport companies to deliver goods, or courier services.”
So said Doreen, listening to the show.
“The most important thing is that you have a service so you can send Christmas cards”, said David McRedmond. “They will be delivered quickly, they will be delivered on time, delivered reliably. For people who want to bring in parcels or send parcels abroad, to have a nationwide service. That’s what you don’t get from people who cherry pick from other companies. An Post provides a nationwide service in every community, in every village, every day.”
Olivia, another listener, was on the side of the embattled chief executive, however.
“I buy stamps and use my post office. I have no problem paying extra for a stamp. I want the service. I’m prepared to pay extra.”
“Well, thank you. Good for her.”
To listen to the full interview, click here.