An Post retains €7bn social welfare contract

AN POST can keep its government contract to distribute more than €7 billion a year in social welfare payments, the European Court of Justice has ruled.

A US multinational complained that the state had broken EU law by awarding the lucrative contract to the state-owned An Post without putting it out to tender.

But the court found that the European Commission, who took the action, had not produced enough evidence to support its case. The Government could be open to a further challenge if it does not change the way it awards contracts.