Munster Express Online

Dear Editor,

You may be aware that Eircom have recently introduced a minimum payment of €20 for the payment of bills at the Post Office. At the same time O2 have unilaterally transferred all their customers to electronic billing forcing the customer to opt back into the normal bill pay arrangements if they want to continue with that system.

Apart from the adverse impact it will have on the income of Postmasters the more important issue is that it will impact more dramatically on the most vulnerable members of our society with limited resources and who currently pay their utility bills at the rate of €5 or €10 per week when collecting their Social Welfare benefit etc. The lack of opportunity to continue with this practice will place a considerable burden on the elderly and Social Welfare recipients in general.

These developments are taking place against the backdrop of, in the case of Eircom, huge amounts of money having been made with different corporate owners who have burdened the Company with so much debt that it appears now that the consumer has to pay the price.

I would therefore appreciate any help you may have of highlighting these issues in the media or in the Dáil by bringing the concerns of your constituents to as wide an audience as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Mary Power (Postmaster)

Kilmacthomas Post Office

Co Waterford