While around 80 per cent of domestic customers and two out of three businesses said they were generally happy with the standard of the inter-Ireland postal services, many also believed that substantial improvements could be made.

Seventy per cent of people questioned also said they did not know the correct cost of sending mail from Northern Ireland to the Republic, and more than 25 per cent were unaware of the prescribed standards for delivery times between the two. Consumer Focus Post’s Principal Policy Advocate, Chris Thirkettle, said that a well functioning postal service which could be relied upon by business and individual customers alike was essential to encourage the growing social and business links between Northern Ireland and the south.

And while existing Northern-Southern Ireland postal services complied with Europe-wide standards for their quality, he called the current standards unambitious, and said they were unable to meet Northern Irish businesses’ or individuals’ reasonable expectations. And bodies representing businesses trading with partners across the border expressed their hope that Consumer Focus Post’s report could be a catalyst to making improvements to the postal service specifically, and bring enhancements in cross-border links in general.

Any steps which could improve the reliability and speed of cross-border communications could have a substantially beneficial effect on the way business is carried out between the two countries, believes Liam Nellis, Chief Executive of InterTrade Ireland. The Federation of Small Businesses also threw its weight behind calls for improvements, and said it would urge that its recommendations be adopted in both countries.

The postal system’s wide range of services were essential for keeping communities and their businesses alive, especially in the current economic climate, William Mitchell, the FSB’s Policy Chair, William Mitchell, said.