Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 31, between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following:

"30.—A postal service provider that operates a post office shall not close the post office (other than for a temporary purpose) without the consent, by reserved function, of the local authority in which the post office is situate."

The amendments attempt to limit the closure of post offices and post boxes, to recognise that post offices have been closed solely on a commercial basis with no account being taken of their social value and to provide for a consultation process when closures are proposed. We had a long debate on this issue on Committee Stage and there was support throughout the House for the amendments. However, they were rejected by the Minister. I asked him to reconsider them to see if he could come up with something for Report Stage.

I have retabled both of them. I am not suggesting the wording represents the only way to deal with this. I would be happy if the Minister of State said the Government wanted to take the spirit of the amendments into account when the Bill goes before the Dáil, and might introduce some mechanism to deal with this and recognise that the people do not want our post offices to be closed purely on a commercial basis.