Minister officially opens An Post facility in Ballina
Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport Patrick O’Donovan is pictured (centre) at An Post's delivery services unit in Ballina last Thursday with, from left: Cllr Marie-Therese Duffy, Garrett Bridgeman, Managing Director, An Post Commerce; Senator Mark Duffy and Cllr John O'Hara. Picture: John O'Grady
Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport Patrick O’Donovan has officially opened An Post’s new North Mayo base on the outskirts of Ballina.
The Ballina delivery services unit (DSU) brings together An Post’s mails operations across a broad swathe of North Mayo and West Sligo at a purpose-fitted facility at Laghtadawannagh on the Killala Road.
Some nine delivery offices in the area now share the new location with postal operatives from Ballycastle, Bonniconlon, Crossmolina, Dromore West, Easkey, Foxford, Enniscrone, Killala, Lahardane and Ballina now based on site at the former car showrooms. In all, 51 staff are based in Ballina which offers improved facilities for staff and customers as well as better access and parking.
The new office has been operational for a number of months, but the Minister's visit offered the opportunity to formally signal the start of operations there. All postal staff begin and end their working day in Ballina while carrying out their local deliveries as normal.
The site is also the base for 11 of An Post’s rapidly growing electric vehicle (EV) fleet, part of the largest EV fleet in the country, and the site has been fitted out for further EV post vans to be pressed into service throughout the county.
"The Ballina DSU mirrors the development of local DSUs throughout the country over many years," said a spokesperson for An Post. "Previously one or two local postal operatives would be based in a local post office. The move gives staff the benefits of working together purpose provided staff accommodation and facilities.
"Undelivered letters or parcels can still be available for collection in the local post office.
Minister O’Donovan was greeted by Garrett Bridgeman, Managing Director, An Post Commerce, Regional Manager Richie Walsh and the manager of the Ballina facility Mayo man Darren Flynn. He was given a tour of the Killala Road premises and unveiled a plaque marking the occasion of his visit.
The Minister also heard an outline of the parcels and mails handling process at the facility, as well as the ongoing transformation of the mail business prompted by the growth in ecommerce and home shopping.
