Pádraig Delargy blasts ‘second-class system’ and '10 day delays', Royal Mail denies claims

Sinn Féin MLA Pádraig Delargy made the claim in Stormont telling MLAs that ‘people in Derry will not accept a second-class system’.

Mr. Delargy suggested patients are missing hospital appointments as a result of the late delivery of correspondence from the health service.

During a visit to the sorting office in Derry, he said, he was ‘informed by staff that letters can sometimes wait for nine or 10 days before they are delivered’.

"People in Derry will not accept a second-class system from Royal Mail. People are often left waiting on vital healthcare letters, in some cases missing appointments because they have received the appointment letter days after the appointment was due to take place.

"Our office has been contacted by people who are waiting on a cancer diagnosis and are, obviously and naturally, worried about the impact that the postal delays will have on their treatment options.

“It is also deeply unfair that our postal staff, who work tirelessly in all conditions all year round, are bearing the brunt of decisions taken by Royal Mail management.

“Royal Mail needs to meet its public service obligations. It needs to get mail out to people in Derry in a timely manner, and it needs to take responsibility at management level to make that happen,” said the Foyle MLA.

Royal Mail rejected Mr. Delargy’s description of the situation claiming it was ‘inaccurate’.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “No delivery point in Derry Delivery Office has gone nine or 10 days without a delivery. During the MLA’s visit in January, the vast majority of rounds were completed as normal. A small number of deliveries were delayed due to sick absence, but these deliveries were prioritised the next day.

“During peak periods like Christmas, parcel volumes more than double and space constraints can create safety risks in smaller offices. In these cases, parcels may be cleared first to keep all mail, including letters, moving – this is part of established contingency planning and has been shared with Ofcom.

“We also regularly offer overtime to permanent staff.”