Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for affirming that.

I support Senator Victor Boyhan's call on the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to come to the House to elucidate on what is happening in respect of the post office network. We have the Kerr report, the business development group and the post office network renewal group, yet the only news we have heard is that there is a proposal to shut down 80 post offices, which would have a particularly negative impact on rural Ireland. I am concerned that there is a parallel universe and that An Post is using this opportunity to implement a policy it has in place to close post offices. It needs to be called on immediately to cease its policy of unilaterally withdrawing postal and other services from rural communities where services are provided through an agency agreement and the contractor dies or becomes otherwise incapacitated. The postmistress in Kilmovee Post Office in County Mayo died last week. May she rest in peace. I offer my condolences to her family. An Post immediately shut down the post office because it had been operated on an agency basis and the postmistress had been the signatory to the contract. Agency operators do not cost An Post anything. For the past 12 years the Kilmovee community has provided a venue in the community centre and spent €60,000 in providing the service. It paid for the person working there and provided the venue. It saw fit to invest its resources in providing the service in order that pensioners, some of whom live within walking distance, could walk up the road, but they will now be required to go to another post office. Transport is an issue. An Post is having difficulty in contemplating readvertising the agency in order that the community can make a case for the retention of the post office. An Post is a State company. I understand it has to examine its books, but it also performs a social function. We need a proper debate on this function and how the company might be subsidised. In this case, the community is subsidising the service. Local people deserve an opportunity to retain their post office. I call on the Minister to come to the House to outline what is happening with the post office network, in Kilmovee in particular, and whether some progress has been made. We all appreciate the value of the post office network to which more than lip service should be paid.