Parcel delivery unit closure seen as another blow to community

THE closure of An Post’s parcel delivery unit in Ballyfermot is another blow to the community after Chapelizod lost its local post office in June.

In a notice to customers in Dublin 10 and 20, the company said its delivery service unit in Westlink Industrial Estate, which closed at the beginning of the month, was “no longer fit for purpose”.

The depot has relocated to Holly Road in Dublin 12, near the Naas Road in Walkinstown, where undelivered packages will now have to be collected from.

According to An Post, the relocation was necessary to accommodate its “rapidly expanding” parcel delivery business, and the concentration of all services for D10 customers at the new location will “improve facilities and services for local customers”.

The move is lamented in a community which has seen various financial institutions in the area leave or downgrade their services over the years, eliminating the ability of customers to speak to staff directly.

In October, Bank of Ireland closed its Ballyfermot branch, as part of a nationwide culling of 88 branches.

Cllr Vincent Jackson is calling for Dublin City Council to support a proposal of his, to utilise the Bank of Ireland branch as a main “fit-for-purpose” Ballyfermot post office.

Postal services were relocated to Le Fanu Shopping Centre, but Jackson says this is unsuitable for residents due to its small size and lack of privacy for customers.

“Ballyfermot has now lost nearly all its banking services with BOI and the scaling-back of services in PTSB,” said Cllr Jackson.

“Twenty years ago there were four building societies, three banks – now we have one PTSB branch which does not accept cash and a credit union for nearly 25,000 people.”

An Post said they were unable to find a replacement contractor to run the post office in Chapelizod, despite an extensive advertising campaign.

According to Cllr Jackson, the service could ensure when contracts are up for renewal, that the branch has “capacity to meet existing and future needs especially when the post office network continues to take on more business.

“Thousands use the current facility on a weekly basis,” he said.