As the designated universal postal service provider (“USP”), the 2011 Act sets out the basic requirements of the universal service which An Post must provide to everyone and every organisation in the Republic of Ireland.
This involves at least one collection and one delivery on every working day of letters, packets and parcels up to 10kg in weight; the provision of a registered items service, an insured items service and postal services free of charge for blind and partially sighted persons. ComReg has granted An Post a derogation from the universal postal service in respect of certain working days – for more details see ComReg Document 14/135.
Additionally ComReg is required by the 2011 Act to “make regulations specifying the services to be provided by a universal postal service provider relating to the provision of a universal postal service”. ComReg has made the Regulations, which specify a minimum set of universal postal services to meet the needs of postal service users, while minimising the regulatory burden on An Post – for more details see ComReg Document 12/81, ComReg Document No. 18/99R and ComReg Document No. 19/35