The cost of a national stamp is to increase by 20c from €1.65 to €1.85 next month as part of a number of price hikes by An Post.
The company said the increases are necessary “to safeguard national delivery services and equal access to letter services nationwide”.
A new €3.50 stamp for letters to anywhere in Europe, including Britain, is also being introduced by the company, which represents an increase of 85c.
A new “rest of world” stamp is to be priced €3.95, which An Post said is required to stem “significant losses” on this category of outgoing mail due to a 38 per cent fall in international letters over the past three years.
The hikes come into effect on February 3rd.
The group said more than 50 per cent of outgoing international mail nowadays is destined for Britain, Germany and France, and that this is why it has introduced the new Europe and Britain €3.50 rate.
Rates for large envelopes, packets, over-the-counter parcels, and registered post will also rise, as will rates for “innovative national and international digital stamps”.
An Post linked the hikes to wage increases it must cover for postal staff in line with national pay awards, increased operating costs, and letter volumes which have declined by 7 per cent in the last 12 months and more than 50 per cent since 2016.
The group said a similar rate of decline is forecast for 2026.
It also said falling levels of international letters and rising costs mean “steep increases are necessary” in the prices for sending letters of all sizes abroad.
“While meter post, most bulk mail rates and stamp booklets prices will increase from February 3rd,” it said.
Garrett Bridgeman, managing director of An Post mails and parcels, said: “An Post’s priority is to support the Irish economy and communities by providing world-class services for the people and businesses country wide.
“We work hard on the economics of the business by introducing smarter work practices and managing costs to achieve fair, cost-reflective prices below the European benchmark average, and below the UK, despite falling volumes due to e-substitution.
“An Post remains entirely self-financed. Our quality of service is amongst the highest in Europe and we continue to innovate in the provision of vital services for the Irish economy and local communities.”
He said European countries have “increasingly reduced” letter delivery frequency to once or twice a week, and now deliver to mail boxes outside the home or to central collection points.
“While An Post continues to design future generation mail services to suit customers’ needs, the company is committed to retaining the option of a next-day national service to the door, by trusted, trained postal staff in a growing fleet of emission free vehicles”, he added.