DEPT DECISIONS ALLEVIATE THREAT TO POST OFFICES SAYS MCENTEE

The Dept of Social Protection are to stop writing to welfare recipients inviting them to accept payments by electronic bank transfer – following protests by union leaders that the move was undermining public usage of Post Offices.
Monaghan man Ciarán McEntee, who is President of the Irish Postmasters Union and its spokesperson in the north-east, has greeted the decision.

Postmasters voiced serious concern that letters had been sent to thousands of pensioners and other welfare recipients in recent weeks inviting them to transfer payments to EFT or Electronic Funds Transfer. They saw the move as encouraging people away from using Post Offices.

The IPU welcomed this week’s announcement by the Minister of State at the Dept of Social Protection Kevin Humphreys TD that no further letters of this nature would be issued by his Dept.

The union also reacted positively to a further announcement by Minister Humphreys that An Post had tendered for the development of a new Post Office-based Transaction Account.

The IPU said the….