15 April 2016. Published in the Irish Examiner as an Opinion Editorial. We have to recognise the value of post offices to the country’s social and economic infrastructure, according to IPU general secretary Ned O’Hara POSTMASTERS protested at the Department of Social Protection yesterday over the latest in an ongoing series of attempts by the department to take business away from post offices and hand it to the banks. The position of postmasters is simple — we regard the post office network as a national asset entrusted by the people to the Government to manage on its behalf. It is important to understand that Ireland’s 1,100 postmasters are sub-contractors to An […]
Postmasters Claim Department of Social Protection is Trying ‘To Shut Them Down’
14 April 2016. Postmasters’ Executive staged a protest outside the Department of Social Protection today, accusing the Department of deliberately trying to ‘shut them down’. The Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) said the Department is systematically transferring Post Office business to the private banks – and called on Minister Burton to immediately cease and reverse this policy. The IPU met with the caretaker Minister Joan Burton this week to highlight their frustration following a letter which the Department sent to casual and part-time workers, seeking their bank details for future payment. The letter made no reference to the Post Office, or that people could continue using the Post Office if they choose. […]
Postmasters urge Jobseekers to continue using the Post Office
7 April 2016. Postmasters have urged Jobseekers to continue using the Post Office and to ignore a recent letter asking them to receive their payments by bank transfer. The Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) said that the Department of Social Protection (DSP) recently wrote to Jobseekers, across the country, requesting their bank details and to change their method of cheque payment to Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). IPU General Secretary Ned O’Hara said there had been confusion among the public about these letters and the IPU is meeting the caretaker Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, to request that they be withdrawn. “The message from Postmasters to Jobseekers is to ignore this […]
Postmasters call for cross-party and cross-candidate commitment to Post Office Plan
February 14, 2016. Postmasters have called for cross-party and cross-candidate commitment to progressing the Bobby Kerr Report on the future of Post Offices, in their General Election 2016 Manifesto. The Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) has called on all Political Groups and Candidates to ensure that the Irish Post Office Network has a strong economic and social future, irrespective of who forms the next Government. IPU General Secretary Ned O’Hara said: “The future of Ireland’s Post Office Network is not a party political issue. It is a social and community issue and warrants cross-party and cross-candidate commitment to supporting urgent progress.” In their Manifesto, Postmasters said that the two Working Groups […]
Community and Post Office campaign to focus on implementation of Bobby Kerr Report
1 February 2016. The Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) announced today that it is no longer running Community and Post Office candidates in the upcoming General Election. These include Geoff Boyle in Dublin West, Andrew Kelly in Dublin Central and Seona O’Fegan in Galway West who had announced their intention to run as Community and Post Office candidates last year. All three candidates are now not contesting the election. The decision follows a national meeting of Postmasters in Portlaoise yesterday to discuss the recent Bobby Kerr led report on the future of the Post Office Network which included the immediate establishment of two Working Groups to implement the report’s findings, with Postmasters part of both Groups. Government has […]
Bobby Kerr Report shows serious challenges faced by the Post Office Network
20 January 2016. The Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) has said that today’s launch of the Bobby Kerr Report on the future of Post Offices shows the serious challenges faced by the Post Office Network and called for urgent action on the Report’s findings. “The IPU Executive welcomes the Report which shows the serious challenges facing the Network over the next number of years. While there are some recommendations in the Report that Postmasters have major difficulty with, we are prepared to engage with the Government and An Post to find solutions and define a viable future for the Post Office Network,” the Union said. IPU General Secretary Ned O’Hara said […]
Postmasters welcome plans for citizen’s banking through Post Offices
11 November 2015. Postmasters have welcomed plans to use the Post Office Network to provide people and citizen’s focused banking services – as banks force customers to ATMs or online. The IPU has today welcomed public confirmation by An Post that it is at an advanced stage of planning a banking service and said the Post Office Network is ideally suited to deliver it due to it’s community base of 1,110 Offices, it’s customer profile and it’s up to date technology. The Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) said last week’s announcement by Bank of Ireland to move smaller transactions to ATMs, or online, highlighted more clearly than ever before the need […]
500,000 demand Government to support and secure their Post Offices
23 October 2015. Postmasters have presented half a million public signatures to the Minister for Communications demanding Government action to support and secure the future of Post Offices. Postmasters gathered today outside Minister Alex White’s Office to present half a million signatures collected from communities in all corners of the country – highlighting the scale of public support for Post Offices. Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) General Secretary Ned O’Hara said the Government must act quickly and significantly on the Post Office issue before the end of its term of Office, or 500,000 signatories will have been let down by the Government parties. “There is very strong public support in all parts of the […]
Postmasters nationwide return Social Protection forms in protest against Government policy
July 14th 2015. Postmasters across the country have returned thousands of new Social Protection forms to Minister Joan Burton’s Department in protest against their usage. In a coordinated move by Postmasters, recently revised Social Protection forms were posted back to the Department of Social Protection – from all corners of the country yesterday – and were due to arrive at the doors of the Department today. Members of the Union’s Executive returned their forms to the Department in person this morning. Frustration emerged last month when Minister Burton’s Department issued new Social Protection forms which recommended that people receive their payments by direct debit to a bank account, instead of using […]
Postmasters call on Minister to withdraw new social protection forms
June 8th 2015. Postmasters are calling on the Minister for Social Protection to withdraw new Social Protection forms – which recommend payment through banks and discourage use of the Post Office. The Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) said that all Post Offices will be under threat of closure if Social Protection transaction business is taken away. The IPU said members were shocked to receive the new forms in recent weeks which ‘recommend’ direct payment of social protection payments to bank accounts as the ‘best payment option’. The new forms only reference using the Post Office for those who ‘don’t have Bank Accounts’. The IPU has written to the Minister for Social Protection, […]