NAAS, 7 August: by Trish Whelan. There was little support for a call by Cllr Pat McCarthy asking that An Post should drop its £15 charge for people wanting to cancel postal deliveries to their homes while they are away.
Cllr McCarthy said it was an incredible situation that a semi state body is charging £15 to NOT going to a premises. He said: “Gardai are constantly telling us it’s a give away to burglars telling them you are away if there is a build up of post.”
He believed it would be simple for An Post to hold letters for collection by the person when they return. “We should be sending a strong letter to them telling them this must be dropped,” he urged adding that if the charge was there already it had not been enforced until this year.
He was supported by Cllr Mary Glennon who said the public ‘pay very dearly for An Post services’. She said the Gardai are forever telling people to cancel deliveries of milk and newspapers.
Cllr Timmy Conway said he couldn’t see a problem with the charge. “They’re in a commercial business and if you ask anybody to do anything for you, you pay them” he said. He said the amount is reasonable and gives the householder protection. He was backed by Cllr Seamie Moore who said An Post is heading to make a loss of £13m this year. “We’re asking them to mind our letters,” he said.
But Charlie Byrne called it ‘double taxation’. “You have paid An Post to deliver and have put a stamp on it. It’s much cheaper for them to deliver in bulk than individually.”
Cllr Willie Callaghan agreed the charge seemed reasonable but wanted to know what could be done about advertising literature and junk mail deliveries on doorsteps when people are away.
The motion was defeated when put to a vote.
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