James Heffernan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I join with others in saying "Fair play" to Senator Mulcahy for his statement yesterday to the committee regarding domestic abuse. It was not easy for him and took a lot of guts. It was good to see, as we need a bit more of that.

I also join with others regarding the threat to rural post offices. I was brought up beside a post office. My grandmother had the post office and my father is now its postmaster. In my experience, rural post offices are under pressure. My village has lost its bank, which used to be across the road. We have an ATM somewhere in the town. The Garda station was closed recently. Services are dwindling. As was mentioned during a presentation yesterday, the post office is the heart of the community. It is a place where people meet in the morning. Most importantly, it provides a social service.

With a small bit of will, the network could be improved. My sister and mother, who work behind the counter, tell me stories about how they can see in the faces of the young fellows who go to the post office every week that the latter are despondent and down on their luck. The dole has been cut for lads aged under 25 years. To keep their old cars on the road, they can only tax them for three months at a time. They are being penalised because they cannot pay an entire year's tax at one time. If they could pay the tax in the post office, that would be something. They used to be able to rent flats in town but have had to return home to mammy and daddy. They do not have the few bob to have a few pints at the weekend, so they must sit inside with their mothers and fathers watching "The Late Late Show" or whatever. The situation for young fellows in rural Ireland is demoralising.

I have asked the Minister for Social Protection to speak to me about this matter.

The post office should be the first point of call for people who are unemployed and on the dole. They could be directed from the post office by the people who know them and who work there. I was going to set up a register of people who are unemployed and looking for work and to list the skills that are available. People who are looking for work locally could then check the register to see what is available. Unfortunately, the Minister does not want to do that.

There are many other ways in which the post office can be enhanced and used better. What about the likes of motor taxation? Why can that not be renewed in a post office? I cannot understand why the new driving licences were not given to the post offices. There is plenty that the Government, including the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Minister for Social Protection, could do if those responsible liaised with the Irish Postmasters Union and An Post. This is something that should be done.

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for his indulgence, but before I finish, I believe it must be made clear that if the service is not being used by local people, then we will lose it. I appeal to people who are getting their pensions to think beyond simply getting it into their bank account in a handy way. People should use the post office and the services it provides. They should go down and meet the neighbours and the people there. They should keep the community alive and keep the post offices alive, because when they are gone they will not be coming back.