Sir, – The prospect of further post office closures with devastating effects on rural communities and the proposal to impose a massive increase in the cost of posting letters is a huge indictment of management failure at An Post.
For years, the world has been progressively reducing its reliance on paper communications whilst An Post management has remained completely bewildered by that fact.
An Post inherited an organisation with a prominent retail presence in every town and village, a massive national distribution and transport network and personnel who were – and still are – welcomed at every door. Yet, from the outset, it has failed to capitalise on its unique capabilities and management ‘thinking’ hasn’t reached beyond infrastructural cutbacks, increases in postal charges and holding out a begging bowl for government subsidies. Simultaneously, courier operators have grown their businesses and provided a high standard of service at attractive rates.
The excellent workforce, branch network and elaborate infrastructure of An Post have the capacity to be self-sufficient. That will only be achieved when management acquires some entrepreneurial imagination and begins to heed the An Post slogan, “Do more. Much, much more”! – Yours, etc,
PETER COOGAN,
Celbridge, Co Kildare.