Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegation for their presentation. I apologise for leaving in the course of the presentation, but I took the opportunity to read it. I represent the Sligo-North Leitrim constituency, in which Sligo is the major town and the rest of the constituency is mainly rural with small towns and villages. I think any member of the Oireachtas who represents a similar area will fully appreciate the benefit and value of the post office network. The service it provides is much more than selling stamps and paying out social welfare payments. It is part of the fabric of the communities in which it is located. I am passionate in my defence of the post office network. We will be supporting this motion tonight. I have not yet seen the Government amendment to the motion that will be voted on tonight, but I am sure I will see it at some stage during the day.

We need to be realistic. We will not stop electronic mail or electronic funds transfer. It is disturbing to learn that Government is putting undue pressure on people to accept electronic funds transfer. If that assertion is accurate, it is disturbing because people should have a choice. Any business model that is built on resisting the increasing electronic funds transfer or electronic communications will fail. It will be like King Canute trying to hold back the tide with a rake. It will not work.

Mr. McGann stated we need a Government action plan. In my view An Post needs a business model and an action plan. Government must give its full support to that action plan. I do not think the Government should come up with the business model for An Post but An Post should have Government support for its proposed model. It is a reasonable expectation that An Post, together with the post office network and the postmasters, would have Government support for its plan, once it is in place.

What was the value of the licence for the national lottery before its withdrawal from the post office network ? Were arrangements made to compensate An Post for the withdrawal of the national lottery? It appeared to be running successfully and be of benefit to the post office network.

It is not clear from the Grant Thornton report on its analysis of An Post whether its staff met the management of An Post or explored different possible business models with An Post.

I attended a briefing by the postmasters' association last week at which I suggested that at a time when the banks are closing left, right and centre, it must present an opportunity for An Post to work with the Irish League of Credit Unions to give credit union members easy access to a full range of credit union services at the post office. That is an example of the lateral thinking that is needed by the credit union movement. Someone must have been listening last week as I was delighted to learn the Minister picked up on that point.

This issue is greater than politics. Not only was I disappointed by the Minister's response last night, I was also disturbed. While I welcome a whole-of-government analysis, that should have been done when this committee issued its report. We have lost valuable time. I see commercial and trading businesses moving from small rural towns into supermarkets based in larger county and provincial centres. That is deeply disturbing.