POSTAL SERVICES:POSTAL SERVICES across the country have been severely curtailed because of the adverse weather.
There was no post for a second day in many parts of Leinster yesterday, including Dublin, Wexford and Waterford.
There was also disruption to isolated and more difficult to reach parts of Connacht and Munster.
An Post said hazardous conditions had made driving unsafe in many parts, preventing mail distribution and delivery. The company said postal services were likely to remain “significantly curtailed” for the rest of the week.
“Every effort will be made to have mail delivered at the earliest possible opportunity but the reliability of our normal next-day service has been severely impacted,” it said.
The late snow flurry and gridlock on Dublin’s M50 last night held up a number of An Post trucks, preventing about 50,000 items of mail, posted yesterday in Dublin, from being processed.
Spokeswoman Anna McHugh said services around the State were reliant on local and minor routes, many of which had become impassable because of the heavy snowfall.
However, she said mail was available for collection by members of the public with suitable identification from many sorting offices, with the exception of Dublin 16 and Gorey, Co Wexford, where it has not been possible to deliver mail into the office.
She said special handling arrangements for weekly social welfare payments had been put in place but warned that delivery in some areas could not be guaranteed because of the conditions.
While all delivery staff were out yesterday, she said many were unable to complete their routes because they encountered treacherous minor roads.
She advised customers to monitor updates on the company’s website at www.anpost.ie or to contact the customer service helpline on 1850-575859 for further inquiries.
As harsh weather conditions continued to create problems on Irish farms, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association said local authorities must attach priority to clearing roads necessary for “key farming and commercial activity”.
Its dairy chairman, Pat McCormack, asked co-ops and processors to make allowances for the problems around freezing and storage being experienced by many farmers in the worst affected areas. He said it was important that trucks made determined efforts to get up to farms.