Costello threatens legal action over FF postmark

An Post has been threatened with legal action over the stamping of letters with the Fianna Fáil logo.

An Post has been threatened with legal action over the stamping of letters with the Fianna Fáil logo.

Senator Costello

Labour Party Senator Mr Joe Costello said he would seek an injunction ending the "unfair and undemocratic" practice.

Fianna Fáil is the first party to take up the contract to display their slogan on every letter that is not already stamped or franked.

Senator Costello said: "I believe that by putting this politically partisan material on my correspondence to my constituents, An Post is interfering in the democratic process.

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"An Post has a monopoly on postal services and the fact that practically every envelope is now a Fianna Fáil canvassing card cannot continue".

The Senator has served a plenary summons on An Post detailing his objections and will seek a court injunction if the contract is not terminated within seven days.

"It would be farcical if every letter I send out during a general election is emblazoned with the Fianna Fáil logo. An Post were extremely foolish to enter into this arrangement," he said.

But An Post spokeswoman Ms Anna McHugh said the service was confident it was not acting unlawfully. Ms McHugh said: "This has been checked thoroughly. We are perfectly within our rights. We certainly would not offer it if it was illegal.

"This is a facility that is open to any political party or commercial company to avail of. Fianna Fáil happened to be the first political party who booked it and have the option right up until May when the general election will be," she said.

She said the service, which would emblazon the Fianna Fáil mark on about 30 per cent of letters in Ireland, raised cash for the service.