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Fermanagh and Omagh District Council are to meet with Ofcom after the communications regulator supported their concerns around Royal Mail postal delays.
Councillors have previously discussed the apparent prioritising of parcels over letters which has led to delays in the delivery of letters, including for important medical appointments, which are being missed.
The Council raised the matter with Ofcom highlighting the adverse impact of the reduction in postal deliveries on all citizens, particularly those awaiting important and time-sensitive information.
Ofcom’s role is to monitor the postal market and hold Royal Mail to account to ensure a universal postal service (USO) that meets users’ needs and remains affordable, efficient, and financially sustainable.
In July, Ofcom introduced changes to Royal Mail’s obligations to better reflect customer needs, place the service on a more sustainable footing, and enable investment to improve delivery performance.
Ofcom Director Jonathan Rose supported the Council, and advised: “Royal Mail must now implement these changes effectively and restore reliability.
“Our decisions aim to improve delivery performance because we recognise that delayed post causes significant frustration and distress.
“To address this, we have introduced new ‘tail of mail’ targets for items that miss the main delivery deadline.
“We will continue to monitor Royal Mail’s progress closely. Compliance with quality-of-service targets is a serious matter, and we remain concerned that performance has fallen short of regulatory requirements and customer expectations.”
Mr. Rose concluded: “Alongside enforcement, we continue to press Royal Mail to publish and implement a credible plan for sustained improvement.
“Without this, further penalties are likely to remain necessary and appropriate.”
The Council’s Chief Executive, Alison McCullagh, informed counclilors a meeting has been scheduled for February 24.
Sinn Féin Councillor Anthony Feely said: “This is a major problem in rural areas. Last week in my area we only got post on one day.
“I look forward to this meeting and we need a good discussion. It’s not good enough that people are missing hospital appointments and over issues over this.”
Party colleague, Councillor Sheamus Greene – who first raised the matter at the Council – said he was previously informed that: “Overtime had been cut back, but more recently I have been told overtime is now completely stopped.
“This is going to lead to absolute nightmares, particularly for second-class mail, which I believe is what is used for hospital appointments.
“I’ve heard of one instance where mail was received eight weeks after it was posted.”
He enquired if it will be possible “as a council to delve into what powers Ofcom has to sanction Royal Mail, because they don’t seem to be worried about fines”.
He continued: The reason I say that, is the last time we had a regulator [not Ofcom], they maintained they had absolutely no remit over – in that instance – NI Water, or where they could direct their money.
“That was after this council area got so little of the budget. Then when legislation was delved into, it was far from the truth – the regulator actually could act.”
Councillor Greene suggested information as to Ofcom’s powers should be circulated to councillors in advance of the meeting “to be able to ask the relevant questions”.
This was agreed across the Chamber.
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