Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

First, the reason we are here today is that 159 post offices around the country, including 12 in Kerry, are to close. I am glad Mr. Tom O'Callaghan is at this meeting. I have seen him at three community meetings, at least, which were attended by up to 170 people in Kerry who were concerned about their post offices being closed.

We all passionately believe community banking would help to save our post offices. I appreciate the other two witnesses coming in today. We are very disappointed with our Minister for Finance who more or less laughed at the cost of €160 million to set up this community banking. If this €160 million was spent to set up community banking, would it pay for itself and pay to run itself? That is the critical question because money is being pumped into many parts of our economy. I refer to the health service. Is it adequate despite all the money that is being pumped into it? It is not manifesting in a proper health service for our people, the people who we are representing and the people who were on trolleys again last week in Tralee. There is an average of 23 people each day on trolleys in the middle of the summer.

It would be useful if this would help the indigenous sector, as was stated, such as the farming community local to the post offices, small businesses and the self employed and if they could get loans locally and pay them back with low interest. We know what the banks charge and we know the torment they are putting people through at present just to get a €20,000 loan for something small. They are not helping the people at all so the main question is whether this €160 million would pay for itself if it was spent. I want to hear that answered publicly here. It would ensure the survival of many of the post offices, not all of them, but maybe most of them.