CPSU PRESS RELEASE 
Most political parties in the state have failed to respond to representations from the Civil Public and Services Union concerning the crisis in An Post particularly Governments failure to provide a State Subvention to support An Post's Universal Service obligation. 
An Post is a key public service with a value that cannot be measured in purely financial terms and in the Union's view the current financial crisis must be handled in a manner which respects the very important public service role of the company. 
The Union asked the following three important questions of all political parties in the state and bar a supportive response from Sean Crowe TD of Sinn Fein the silence was deafening, although a late response was received from the Minister Dermot Ahern on polling day. 
Do you support the provision of a comprehensive post delivery and collection service and the maintenance of a local post office network throughout the country? 
In a competitive environment where An Post must cut its margins to hold its market share against privately owned companies only interested in An Post’s profitable business, how do you propose An Post should address the losses incurred by delivering on its “social service obligation”? 
Will you call on the Government to act on the Flynn Report and introduce a subvention like at CIE, RTE, and the Regional Airports etc. to ensure An Post can continue to operate a comprehensive public service to all? 
The failure to respond to these important questions in advance of polling day on the 11th June speaks volumes, particularly in relation to Government's failure to support An Post's social obligation to provide a postal service to the state without financial support from Government. 
According to Dermot Ahern the Government is committed to a viable and sustainable post office network, yet at the same time sees the current crisis being resolved through negotiations on the recovery plan, where workers once again will be asked to carry the can for government and management failures. 
The union circulated briefing documentation on the crisis at An Post to all branches in advance of the June 11th European and Local Elections Day urging members to tackle canvassers on the doorsteps about their position on the future of An Post. 
The pamphlet highlights the situation at the company and poses three questions to be asked of canvassers and politicians: 
An Post provides a range or critical social services under its “Universal Service Obligation” such as house to house deliveries across all parts of the country and the local sub-post offices’ network. 
Even though in many cases these are loss-making e.g. rural deliveries cost four times those in urban areas, NO funds are provided by the State. 
The Flynn Report in 2000, commissioned by the Government, warned the sub-post office network would cause serious financial problems and that a subvention or state funding was essential to protect the social services of the company 
To date the Government has effectively ignored the report 
Last year An Post lost ˆ43 million - the main loss-maker was the Postal Collection and Delivery Division. 
The round of critical talks with unions underway are aimed at slashing costs making workers pay for the Government’s inaction 
The net effect will be to cripple postal collection and delivery services to the areas which depend most on the An Post postal network 
Members were then asked to pose the following questions to canvassers/politicians on the doorsteps during the campaign: 
Do you support the provision of a comprehensive post delivery and collection service and the maintenance of a local post office network throughout the country? 
In a competitive environment where An Post must cut its margins to hold its market share against privately owned companies only interested in An Post’s profitable business, how do you expect An Post to cover the losses from delivering on its “social service obligation”? 
Will you call on the Government to act on the Flynn Report and introduce a subvention like at CIE, RTE, and the Regional Airports etc. to ensure An Post can continue to operate a comprehensive public service to all? 
According to Eoin Ronayne Financial Secretary, "the Government is giving a ‘kiss of death’ to the social services provided by An Post by refusing to address the urgent need for state financial support. The Government is hiding behind the Board of An Post rather than facing up to the reality that An Post cannot deliver its current range of social service obligations without Government funding." 
For further information and comment contact: Derek Mullen Assistant General Secretary on 01 6765394 or 087 2513877 
Bernie O'Reilly Membership Dept CPSU 19-20 Adelaide Road Dublin 2 Tel: 01 6765394 CPSU