An Post

Infobox Company
name = An Post

type = State-owned limited company
genre =
foundation = 1984 - split up of Irish government Department of Posts & Telegraphs
into An Post, and Telecom Éireann (now Eircom)
founder =
location_city = Dublin
location_country = Ireland
location =
locations =
area_served =
key_people =
industry =
products =
services =
revenue = increase€818.82 million (2006) [http://www.anpost.ie/NR/rdonlyres/4EB3D34E-9B22-4811-BD3E-CF5B2DD8EDBE/0/Englishfinancials.pdf An Post financial statements for 2006] See Page 50]
operating_income =
net_income = increase€75.67 million (2006)
owner =
num_employees =
parent =
divisions =
subsid =
slogan =
homepage = [http://www.anpost.ie anpost.ie]
footnotes =
intl =

An Post (IPA-ga|ən̪ˠ pˠɔsˠt̪ˠ; English literal translation: 'The Post' ) is the State-owned provider of postal services in Ireland. An Post provides a "universal postal service" to all parts of the country as a member of the Universal Postal Union. Services provided include, letter post; parcel service; deposit accounts; Swiftpost, an all-Ireland next-day delivery service; EMS the international express mail service.

Background

An Post came into being in 1984 when, under the terms of the "Postal & Telecommunications Services Act, 1983", the delivery services of the Department of Posts & Telegraphs (P&T) were divided between two new organizations: "An Post" and "Telecom Éireann" (the latter being the telecommunications operator now called Eircom). At its inception, during the early years of the Irish Free State, the Department of Posts & Telegraphs was the country's largest department of state, and its employees (most of them postmen) constituted the largest sector of the civil service.

Today An Post remains one of the largest employers in the State, although it has undergone considerable downsizing. It is still loss-making in parts.

The Irish government announced the introduction of a postcode system in Ireland from 2008 [ [http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/Press+Releases/Dempsey+announces+programme+to+introduce+postcodes+in+Ireland+by+1st+January+2008.htm] Dempsey announces programme to introduce postcodes in Ireland by 1st January 2008 (retrieved 15 January 2007)] though An Post is against the system because they say it is unnecessary. [ [http://www.rte.ie/business/2005/0523/post.html] RTÉ "An Post is against codes plan" (retrieved 15 January 2007)] The date for introduction of the system remains open given the new Minister's assertion that additional public consultation is required. [ [http://breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhcweycwidkf/ Breakingnews.ie Minister to delay postcode system] ]

ubsidiaries

An Post is involved in a number of subsidiaries–some of these it has complete ownership of; others are partly owned by An Post such as the An Post National Lottery Company and the Prize Bond Company Limited.

An Post National Lottery Company

An Post holds the licence granted by the Minister for Finance to run the National Lottery through its subsidiary, An Post National Lottery Company. All employees of An Post National Lottery Company are seconded from An Post, and as such are employed and paid by An Post rather than by the subsidiary.

An Post Transaction Services

In 2003, An Post set up a new division to run its post office and transaction services business, entitled An Post Transaction Services or PostTS. It rebranded its post offices network as "Post Office" or "Oifig an Phoist" with a new white and red logo, and introduced banking services in conjunction with Allied Irish Banks. It also introduced a service whereby newsagents could provide some Post Office services, entitled PostPoint. This was thought to have reversed a downward trend in business. PostTS also expanded abroad, with operations in the UK and Spain.

In 2005 PostTS sold its foreign operations. The rebrand of Post Office was partially reversed after some criticism, with the traditional An Post logo restored to Post Offices (the red-and-white symbol has been dropped from Post Offices, but remains in use for the company's website "BillPay.ie" and for PostPoint). The original PostTS shop front design which featured predominantly English branding "PostOffice" with the location in English, has also been replaced with the Irish language "OifiganPhoist", with the location in both Irish and English (the PostOffice logo can still be seen, but at smaller locations is typically only on a hanging sign, not the shop front). At this time this change is complete at almost all premises.

Postbank

On 5 October 2006 An Post signed a final agreement for the creation of a joint venture with Fortis to provide financial services through the Post Office network. The new venture will offer a range of financial products and services to the Irish market, including daily banking, savings products, insurance, mortgages and credit cards. [ [http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/MainContent/About+An+Post/Media+Centre/Press+Releases/2006/2006-10-05+Fortis.htm] An Post Website "Fortis and An Post sign final agreement on creation of financial services joint venture in Ireland" (retrieved 24 February 2007)] PostPoint and the company's insurance business, One Direct, will become part of the new company, which will have access to the Post Office network. [http://www.fortis.com/press/info/UK_FORTIS_ANPOST_05102006.pdf]

On 29 April 2007 a press launch was held for the new bank, which is to be known as Postbank (legally "Postbank Ireland Limited", to distinguish from other similarly named operations such as Deutsche Postbank). The bank's savings and investment products include Solid Saver and Sure Investor. On 12 May 2008 Postbank launched its current account called the " Everyday Account

See also

* Communications in Ireland
* General Post Office (Dublin)
* List of Irish companies
* Postage stamps of Ireland
* Postal addresses in Ireland

References

External links

* [http://www.anpost.ie/ Official website]
* [http://www.postbank.ie Postbank Ireland Limited website]