An Post say mail service operating normally

An Post has said that mail services have been operating as normal in rural areas as postal workers begin the first day of sorting mail in their own homes.

In total, 540 rural sub-post offices are closed today due to a dispute over pay by the Irish Postmasters Union (IPU).

The Union claims that a significant amount of postmasters and postmistresses are being paid less than the minimum wage.

An Post spokesman, John Foley, said that the postal service has experienced very few difficulties and that the service is continuing as normal.

"I think we had about 225 places where there was a single postman route or postperson's route and they were the people who sorted mail in their homes this morning. The whole thing has gone extremely well both in the single route areas and the multi-route areas," he said.