ComReg monitor unreliable, says An Post

6 April 2006

According to the Company, a separate monitor of the same mail, conducted independently by PwC on behalf of An Post, indicates a performance in 2005 which is over 10 percentage points higher than the ComReg result.

An Post points out that the PwC monitor, conducted on behalf of the Company, is compliant with the mandatory European standard.  'The PwC monitor has been independently audited by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI).  The NSAI has issued a Certificate of Conformity to confirm that the PwC monitor was standard-compliant in 2005.  The ComReg monitor has not been audited by the NSAI or any other independent body' an An Post spokesperson said this evening.

'There is a serious concern about the reliability of the ComReg monitor,' the spokesperson commented.  'The monitor conducted independently by PwC is verified to be standard-compliant and is far more comprehensive than the ComReg monitor.  The PwC monitor has approximately double the number of test mail items, and includes electronic transponders in 40 per cent of the test mail items, which provide a further check on the results'.

An Post has emphasised that it makes no sense to have two separate monitors.

'Ultimately, the postal consumer is bearing the cost of this duplication.  We have made repeated attempts to talk to ComReg about establishing a single, comprehensive, independent monitor of quality which would be fully standard-compliant in design and conduct, with the results accepted by all parties as accurate.  However, ComReg has refused even to discuss such an idea'. 

'This leaves a situation where there are two sets of results.  This is confusing for the public and for users of the postal service, and is unhelpful to the process of setting targets and achieving them.  An Post fully acknowledges that quality performance needs to improve, but the measurement should be fair, rigorous and transparent'.

An Post states that it has also made numerous attempts over the last two years to involve the Regulator in a process of examining the differences between the two sets of results.  So far, ComReg has avoided engaging in such a process. 

'We are working hard to improve quality performance', the An Post spokesperson commented.  'ComReg's approach is unfair and unhelpful'.