Sir, – While I agree with Anne Byrne (January 11th) about ridiculous delivery charges to Ireland, unfortunately there is little that can be done given the current Royal Mail rates, as Ireland is treated by it as it does any other EU country.
As an online retailer, this applies to me “just up the road” when sending a book to Dublin.
For example, one weighting 500 grams would normally cost me £5.15 (€6.90 approximately). But because An Post rates are for “the island of Ireland”, it would cost me only €2.30 (£1.72) if, when visiting my home city, Derry, I can nip down to Muff in Donegal and post it there. A luxury not enjoyed by my counterparts in Britain.
Efforts to get Royal Mail to adopt the An Post categorisation “up North” have proved fruitless (so far). – Yours, etc,
CHRISTIE COLHOUN,
Ballymena,
Co Antrim.