Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for attending and thank the Chairman for allowing me to attend, although I am not a member of the committee. My question is about closures in County Limerick. There have been a number of public meetings over the last months. There was a meeting in Athea a few days ago about an impending closure there. This is one example of active participants who are looking to take up the post office in the area but we are being told it will probably close because the population is under 500 and the 15 km rule is coming in as well. How was the figure of 500 decided? Was it the specific census figures or was it the town boundary? If we went slightly outside the town boundary or out to the speed limits, we could start picking up 500. The population is on the brink of that figure.

Athea has been given money by the Government towards a sewerage scheme and development in the last year and a half. The town is going to progress and there will be future development there. That is very welcome and is on the back of the rise in the economy. There is also good broadband access available in the town and further investment has come in for flood relief and so on. There are all these services going in from the Government but An Post is pulling out. Would it not make more commercial sense for An Post to start looking at towns on a broader scale than just population and distance? It should look at all the other amenities, services and investments that are built around a town. In two, four or five years' time, as the town progresses, An Post could make a commercial gain there, and there are active participants looking at taking up the licence. We have been told it is probably not going to be re-advertised. I need clarification from Mr. McRedmond on that as well. They are looking at taking up the licence under co-location, which would create footfall for the shops and keep the positive momentum going.

I take on board what the Minister said. If a place is doing 12 transactions a week, it is not commercially viable. I get that. This is a particular place where we have good investment, a good future and bright prospects. The removal of the post office will hit this town. It will hit all that momentum. I am trying to create a case that it is commercially viable to have that work in tandem with what is going on. I would like to hear Mr. McRedmond's views.