Schools face bills for post office charges

HUNDREDS of schools face further increases in their running costs as post offices are under pressure to impose mail fees they had not been charging.

The charges for holding mail for daily collection or for delivery at the end of school holidays were introduced by An Post in 2001 but many post offices have never charged them to local schools, particularly in smaller communities. However, An Post management is now insisting that fees are charged to all customers, including schools, businesses and private households.

A company spokesperson said a range of services have been operating for more than seven years and all post offices should have been charging them since then.