Prohibited and restricted items

Prohibited Items

Prohibitions 5. (1) There shall not be posted or conveyed or delivered by post any Postal Packet which contains any of the items listed in the Second Schedule or which is outside of the maximum dimensions or weight set out in Condition 14(4). (2) The sender of a Postal Packet which contravenes Condition 5(1), shall be liable for all costs incurred in its disposal and for all loss arising from damage to other Postal Packets or to An Post staff or equipment or for loss arising from delays or disruption to service. An Post shall have no obligation to return the Postal Packet to the sender or to deliver it. An Post may dispose of it as it thinks fit and shall incur no liability to the sender. (3) Postal Packets containing or consisting of any item which is prohibited under Condition 5(1) may be delivered subject to such restrictions or requirements as An Post may specify from time to time.

Second Schedule

List of Prohibited Items

The following definitions apply to this Schedule (1) “ADR” means the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road 2006, volumes 1 and 2 as may be amended from time to time. (2) “ADR Category A” means Category A substances as defined in section 2.2.62 of volume 1 of the ADR as may be amended from time to time and defined as an Infectious Substance which is carried in a form that, when exposure to it occurs, is capable of causing permanent disability, life threatening or fatal disease to humans or animals. (3) “ADR Category B” means Category B substances as defined in section 2.2.62 of volume 1 of the ADR as may be amended from time to time and defined as an infectious substance which does not meet the criteria for inclusion in ADR Category A. (4) “ADR Packaging Instructions P650” means the packaging instruction applied to UN 3373 set out in section 4.1.4 of volume 2 of the ADR as may be amended from time to time, a copy of which is available for inspection on the An Post website (www.anpost.ie) and from post offices; (5) “Biological Substance, Category B” means any Infectious Substance which is assigned to UN 3373 of the ADR. (6) “Clinical Wastes” means wastes derived from the medical treatment of animals or humans or from bio-research. (7) “Cultures” means the result of a process by which pathogens are amplified or propagated in order to generate high concentrations thereby increasing the risk of infection when exposure to them occurs. This definition refers to cultures prepared for the intentional generation of pathogens and does not include cultures intended for diagnostic and clinical purposes. (8) “Infectious Substances” means substances which are known or are reasonably expected to contain Pathogens, and including infectious substances affecting humans, infectious substances affecting humans and animals, infectious substances affecting animals only, Clinical Wastes and biological specimens;(9) “Pathogens” means micro-organisms (including bacteria, viruses, rickettsia, parasites, fungi) and other agents such as prions, which can cause disease in humans or animals.

The following items may not be included in a Postal Packet.

Postal Packets (1) (a) Consisting of or containing any indecent or obscene print, painting, photograph, lithograph, cinematograph film, engraving, book or card, or any other indecent or obscene article, whether similar to the above or not; or (b) having thereon, or on the cover thereof, any words, marks, or designs of an indecent, obscene or grossly offensive character; or (c) consisting of, or containing: (i) dangerous, toxic, poisonous or Infectious Substance; other than Biological Substances, Category B exchanged between officially recognised senders as determined by An Post or the sender’s competent authority which have not previously been carried by sea or air; and which are packed and labelled in accordance with clause 3 of this Schedule (ii) explosive substance of any type; (iii) any filth; (iv) firearms; military ordnance, replica firearms, replica or inert explosive devices (v) corrosives, acids, paint removers;16 single piece mail terms and conditions (vi) oxidising substances or organic peroxides; (vii) compressed liquidized or dissolved gases; (viii) dry ice; (ix) flammable solids or liquids; (x) materials liable to spontaneous combustion; (xi) paints, varnishes, dyes; (xii) radioactive materials (except under licence); (xiii) living creatures and vegetables; (xiv) prescribed or dangerous drugs (except under statutory licence); (xv) mercury materials deemed illegal or prohibited by any Government Authority; (xvi) organic or biological materials likely to perish in transit; (xvii) sharp instruments not properly protected; (xviii) any noxious or deleterious substance (xix) any article or thing which is likely to injure any other Postal Packet in course of conveyance by post or any receptacle in which same is conveyed or an officer of An Post or any other person who may deal with the Postal Packet or postal equipment or third party property (xx) containing any article liable to customs duty unless the importation of such articles by post is permitted by the country to which the Postal Packet is addressed and there is affixed to the Postal Packet a customs label in the prescribed form. (xxi) counterfeit or pirated items.

(2) A Postal Packet (a) which does not bear a customs or security declaration as to its contents, where required to so to do.(b) bearing any Fictitious Postage Stamp or any counterfeit impression of a stamping machine or a Postal Franking Machine or Ceadúnas or label used under the direction or falsely indicating the Charge postage has been paid or is not due, (c) purporting to be prepaid with any mark, stamp, label or impression of a stamping machine or a Postal Franking Machine which has been previously used to prepay Charges in respect of any other Postal Packet, (d) having thereon or on the cover thereof any words, letters, labels or marks (used without due authority) which signify or imply, or may reasonably lead the recipient thereof to believe, that the Postal Packet is sent by someone other than the sender, (e) of such form or so made up for transmission by post or having thereon or on the cover thereof any words, marks, or designs of a character likely to embarrass the officers of An Post in dealing with the Postal Packet; or (f) having anything written, printed, or otherwise impressed upon or attached to any part of that side of the Postal Packet which bears the address at which the Postal Packet is to be delivered, which, either by tending to prevent the easy and quick reading of the address of the Postal Packet, or by inconvenient proximity to the stamp or stamps used in the payment of postage, or in any other way, is in itself, or in the manner in which it is written, printed, impressed, or attached, likely to impede the officers of An Post in dealing with such Postal Packet, (g) the cover whereof or the part thereof reserved for the address is divided into separate sections for the insertion of successive addresses or bears unauthorised marks or designs, (h) containing any document, gold, platinum or other precious metal, currency, security, goods (including stamps) or other article, commodity, or thing the exportation or importation of which (as the case may be) is subject to control, restriction or prohibition under any law of the State or any other State for the time being in force, except, in so far as the exportation or importation (as the case may be) is authorised in accordance with the provisions of such law, (i) containing a Passport unless it is contained in an Inland Registered Postal Packet which weighs less than 2kg, or (j) containing cash or coins.single piece mail terms and conditions 17

(3) Postal Packets addressed to destinations outside the State or Northern Ireland shall not contain (i) aerosols (ii) toner and ink cartridges (iii) liquids of any kind (including water, alcohol, gels ,creams, aftershaves and perfumes) (iv) items prohibited or restricted by IATA (International Air Transport Association, ICAO, (International Civil Aviation Organisation) any government department or regulatory body (4) Postal Packets containing Biological Substances Category B shall be packed in accordance with ADR Packaging Instructions P650 and any special rules published under Condition 6(1) and clearly marked “Biological Substance Category B”. The return address of the sender shall appear on the top left hand corner of the address side of the Postal Packet, and the sender shall indicate on the outside of the Postal Packet which biological substances the Postal Packet contains in the manner required by An Post.(5) Where An Post has prescribed any particular colour, form or design for use in relation to a particular class of Postal Packets, for conveyance by post no other Postal Packet of such colour, form or design may be posted.