Sinn Féin TD for Kerry, Pa Daly, has called out inefficiencies causing financial and environmental waste that is occurring in the handling of parcels and packages.
Teachta Daly said that there are two issues affecting parcel deliveries in Ireland, however the common theme is a scandalous waste of money and environmental resources in delivery of parcels.
“On the 1st July 2021 the EU implemented an updated set of customs codes in electronic form, for each parcel that is sent from a non-EU destination including Britain, in order to ensure that imports to the EU attract the correct revenue and customs duty,” he said.
Absence of Communication
“The problem is the absence of communication to international mailing partners and the public about the need to use the precise code, which has caused hundreds of thousands of Euro worth of goods to be held up in depots or eventually shipped back to sender.
“When these parcels make it to Ireland An Post ends up holding parcels for weeks at a time before eventually sending them back.
Diaspora Sending Gifts
“Many in the Irish diaspora are sending gifts and care packages which can cost anywhere from €10 to €100 or more to ship to Ireland but which are eventually returned to the place of origin, at a cost to An Post.
“I raised this in the Dáil recently, and while I am encouraged to see that An Post has launched an awareness and communication effort this week, it is unclear whether An Post will implement a process whereby An Post can contact the Irish recipient to ask if they can provide missing information and pay any customs’ charges.
Around the World
“The second issue relates to a constituent who contacted me regarding a parcel they sent from County Kerry to County Armagh.
“The parcel was sent parcel post for tracking purposes at a cost of €9 from Edward Street Post Office in Tralee.
“Accordingly, we can see that the parcel went from Tralee, to Portlaoise, to Dublin, flown across the Irish Sea to London Heathrow before being sent out for delivery in ‘Great Britain’. This trip offers better value than anything Michael O’Leary could offer.
Cost of Living Spiraling
“This kind of waste is how the cost of living spirals out of control. The environmental effect of parcels travelling in vans and planes, multiple times, when they need not is also irresponsible when we look at the climate challenges we face.
“Carbon taxes will not solve the above problem. Common sense and forward planning might however,”Teachta Daly concluded.
You can contact The Maine Valley Post on…Anyone in The Maine Valley Post catchment area who would like to send us news and captioned photographs for inclusion can send them to: jreidy@mainevalleypost.com Queries about advertising and any other matters regarding The Maine Valley Post can also be sent to that address or just ring: 087 23 59 467.
