Royal Mail address claims of letter delays as MLA says important letters have been missed

Royal Mail has claimed deliveries in Derry are "proceeding as normal" amid complaints of long delays for important letters such as hospital appointments and tax deadlines.

Sinn Fein MLA Padraig Delargey said he is "deeply concerned" about delays to the delivery of letters in the area, as he called for an "urgent meeting" with Royal Mail.

Royal Mail, however, has claimed in a statement to Belfast Live that deliveries in Derry are "proceeding as normal" and denied a suggestion from the local politician that parcels are being prioritised.

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In a statement, the Foyle MLA said: "“I have previously raised with Royal Mail concerns that parcels are being prioritised over letters with the result that many people are not receiving important correspondence in good time.

“Royal Mail previously issued assurances that this would not be the case, but my understanding from speaking to many postal staff in the city, is that parcels continue to take precedence and letters are being delayed.

“I am deeply concerned at that because these delays result in many people missing vital information relating to hospital appointments or tax and insurance deadlines for example, and clearly the fear is that this will only get worse in the run up to Christmas."

He continued: “I am also concerned that staff are having to bear the brunt of the understandable frustration from service users when these decisions are completely out of their hands.

“Due to this I have requested an urgent meeting with the Royal Mail Regional Manager and have asked that the Communication Workers Union also attend this discussion to ensure the voices of postal staff are heard.”

Asked to respond, a spokesperson for Royal Mail said: "We take the timely delivery of mail very seriously and work daily to ensure customers receive their items when they expect. We can confirm deliveries in Derry are proceeding as normal with no significant issues that could cause disruption. We will engage with the MLA and seek to address their concerns."

On the prioritisation of parcels over letters, as suggested by the Sinn Fein MLA, the Royal Mail spokesperson said: "Every single parcel and letter is important to us. Our job is to make sure that we are delivering them within the timescales of the product that the customer has bought. Our aim is to deliver all items on time, whether they are letters or parcels.

"At exceptionally busy periods, like Christmas when volumes double, it may be logistically necessary to clear parcels first to keep mail moving.

"Ofcom reported last year: ‘We did not identify any suggestion that Royal Mail senior management had directed the prioritisation of parcels over letters outside of recognised contingency plans.’"

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