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IRISH POST OFFICES are being told to move into a number areas that have nothing to do with post.
Entrepreneur Bobby Kerr has led a group which has authored a report for the Department of Communications which says that post offices can thrive if they move into financial services, social enterprise, public service delivery and white labelling.
The report found that a disproportionate amount of business is conducted in relatively few of the country’s 1,140 post offices. Two thirds of all transactions are conducted in just 300 post offices, while another 48% of post offices account for just 12% of total business.
The report says that An Post should fill the hole left in rural Ireland by the withdrawal of banks and should deliver services like motor tax, the electoral register, HSE payments, local authority payments and CAO and exam fees.
It also suggests post offices are better used for social enterprise and that they cross-sell goods from other suppliers.
Kerr says that An Post’s reach across the country means it is well-placed to deliver customer services.
I believe that An Post is best placed to provide a customer-led solution for a host of financial and government-related services right across the country.
There has been a slowdown in post office closures in the last five years, with a net closure rate of 24 between 2011 and 2014.
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Can I exhale yet? I’ve been holding my breath.
Interesting that FF Bruiser Gallagher didn’t do as well as one might expect in his home turf. They obviously know their own! Thanks be to jaysus.
Guess the young lads he is alleged to have let go from his employment, because he said he did not have the money to pay them, (only to appear on Dragon’s Den sometime later), might not have voted for him!!
He did better in Tipp North, but they are used to a different political culture there.
It hard to pick a candidate from this bunch. The gunman has the most political experience but there’s probably a list of countries where we cant send him cos he’s barred. Tinker/liar/dragon/spy is a reality show lightweight. Dana is clueless (can’t tell a flat tire from an assassination attempt). I narrowed it down to Mickey D on the basis that he wont live long after leaving office and we will save on the pension.
In this instance, it matters that SG doesn’t get elected.
Proud to have Michael D represent this country.
Of course our choice of figurehead is IMportant. It tells the world who we are. The President is our number one ORDINARY citizen – above corruption, politics and deceit.
The result of this election is one we should all be proud of. People were been swayed towards Sean because the impression we were given was a businessman who was independent of the the various parties and that whole culture of a nods as good as a wink. In the end it was revealed that whilst he could not be put in the same bracket entirely he was cut from a similar cloth. Indeed in the end he was a business man chancing his arm and didn’t even have that political wit to get himself out of a pretty serious quandary. We then opted for a seasoned old diplomat who gave us all the impression that he cares for our little land and has no other interest apart from ours. We are not the worst little auld country and we have appointed a nice old soul to be our ambassador. Happy with that I am.
It matters more to Bryan Dobson, Vincent Browne, Sean Whelan, U O’Halligan & all the TV people because it gives them something to talk about.
Not to mention the pollsters!! :(
Sean Whelan comments on economic not political matters. Think u should have been referring to the 2 David’s – namely Davin Power & McCullough.
We had something else to talk about – the proposal to introduce constitutional amendments that will have more of an impact on pur lives than the presidential elections – but the political will was not there to schedule that.
Right about the pollsters, I think it’s called an attempted coup. Will someone investigate the polling companies please? Gallagher never had 40%
@fitszpatrick. John Bowman has mentioned that, when the election is over, there should be a discussion about these polls. Also, comments such as “It is now a two horse race” are not fair to the other candidates. There is a very good article about this subject, written by John Waters, in The Irish Times today!
The President is an important ceremonial position imo. It’s v.important that we are represented well abroad, look at the great job Mary McAlysse & Mary Robison did for us. We need someone good to represent us, more now that ever before as our name has been tarnished the world over.
Thank god we didn’t elect the crook or the ‘former’ terrorist, either would have been a disgrace.
“Important ceremonial position”, lol…!! Yeah, like McAleese bowing + scraping to the women oppressors/terrorist funders in Saudi Arabia,! AND by the way, they,(President of Irl), ALWAYS travel with an entourage,(well ok, hangers-on), of around SIXTY,!! Waste of space and money.
Didn’t the first Mary resign before the end of her first term for a better paid stint at the UN? Did the current Mary not side with the government when they decided to tax our pensions. I don’t think either Mary was on the side of teh people.
Kudos to The Journal for all of the excellent #Aras11 coverage, polls, commentary and never losing sight of the humour on the fringes of a national campaign. Brilliant job. Well done.
“We haven’t gone away you know”,! Gallagher,(thank God), latest victim of PIRA (non,?),violence. Good riddance to ALL the cute hoors,! Anyway this “position” is about as relevant as San Marino’s foreign policy. Overpaid and over-indulged figurehead. Can’t think why ANY of candidates ran for it.
Don’t even attempt to use the “Seán Gallagher” and “victim” in the same sentence. Unless you’re saying “Seán Gallagher was the victim of his own cute hoor tactics. He, and his party, aren’t as clever as they think they are”
It’s an irrelevant ceremonial role.
Congrats to President M D Higgins Labour in the Park about time after 100 Years, CREAM for 2016, The Socialists of 1916 must be smiling, DELIGHTED I BE and glad that we did not get the CLOSET F F er.
A great day for socialist Ireland – albeit a soft left. But I’ll take anything rather than any more of the civil war politics that has divided and continues to divide my country for so long.
Too soft of the Left
Michael D is the hardest one in there. I always liked him. Anyway a soft left is better than a “glass of water” right every day of the week. The socialist slated the dragon. Omg I’m so happy.
That was meant to be slayed the dragon. MMcG slated him!!!
The president is an important figurehead & influencer at home & abroad. This campaign was hijacked to express the national dissatisfaction with the austerity measures imposed due to our collective overindulgence during the boom. Pity, as we will have Michael D in situ for the next 7 years :(
What matters most is that Sean Gallagher doesn’t shnake his way into office!
Exactly, this one was certainly important. It was about letting the cute hoors know that their day is done.
Sorry Caroline, but I think that it was less an indictment of “collective overindulgence” and more an indictment of the gombeen men’s brown envelope culture. This wasn’t a “hijack”, it’s a reflection of the most pressing issue facing our polity.
Aside from this, I do think that Michael D will make a fine President.
Dead Right, thank God gallagher didn’t lie his FF little but into the Aras
An influencer????
Speak for yourself, Caroline O’Reilly. This idea that we ALL overindulged is BS. Maybe you overindulged, the developers overindulged, the politicians overindulged. I didn’t overindulge and I’m not gonna take the rap for the idiots that fucked up this country and the even more idiotic ones who supported them all the way and only criticise them now when its fashionable.
Fianna failed are well and truly finished now and they should all resign and emigrate never to return to the land they pillaged.
So Gallagher was “shell shocked” on Frontline,? S’pose he’ll now be looking for a clinic that treats PESD,= Post Election Stress Disorder. Oh, God forgive me,but I’m wallowing in HAPPINESS at his,(AND Norris’s), humiliation.
You are not alone Charles in your delight.Lol PESD
Imagine we put in a man over 70 as our president, the most important job in the country, yet a civil servant must retire at 65 and a Garda at 60 (used to be 57). No wonder all the young people are leaving the country and when u see gay Byrne taking up the front page of to days Independent at 77 putting on the poor mouth what chance have the younger generation got with attitudes like this?
Firstly its not the most important job in this country. Secondly age is a non-issue in regards to the post except in the way that with age comes experience and wisdom,especially in this case. Haven’t heard of too many civil servants or Gardai complain about having to retire with a handy pension either too be honest.
With the pension age gone up to 68 and counting, be careful what you wish for.
I’ve spoken with MDH many times and i know that we can be proud as a nation to have him as our no.1 citizen. He loves our history (and knows the non revisionist versions) our land our wit our Arts our youth and is very confident about our future. He will herald a new recently lost positivity as he represents us abroad and is an intellect to be reckoned with internationally.
Should have been a bigger margin imho and SH shouldn’t be on the radar at all… The power of tv you guys! Be careful who controls ur media… mostly south Dublin attitudes allowed to prevail on RTÉ in Times etc. Does that represent YOU? (If so…fine for u)
Maith thú Éireann agus comhgairdeas ar aon nós :)
Bit of a silly poll to be running on a site thats covered the election extensively for months.
Seriously, another poll??? Are we not polled out at this stage?
Nah, Michelle, we LOVE “poll” dancin,!
Love that for weeks all we see is aras11 lighting up our social media and traditional media as if everyone is really interested. then when its over everyone is like nah its irrelevant. haha
Depends where your guy/girl finished, I guess.
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