Mr. Sean Martin:

I thank the Chairman for confirming his and the cross-party commitment to support the post office network, a critical infrastructure for the State, which is under huge threat.

I agree with Senator Dooley about the cohort of people who are disadvantaged in not being able to access services online. There is a cohort which has no access to computers or broadband. There is certainly a cohort of people who are not competent enough to use computers. There is also a cohort who are competent to use computers but who do not want to do so because of concerns over privacy and fraud. There is a cohort who are competent to use online services but who do not want to do so for their own mental and social well-being in that they want to ensure they can interact with local services, particularly with their post office.

Unfortunately, the Government is abandoning these people. We need the Government to realise that investment is needed quickly in the post office network. It talks about investing in community development, rural rejuvenation and a town and village scheme. Being able to attract people to such initiatives, one needs to be able to deliver to locally. At present, however, the Government is withdrawing local services, particularly those relating to post offices, and is pulling back in the context of community development issues. I hope we have a Minister with the backbone and business acumen to understand the value of a €17 million investment that will deliver a social impact of between €334 million and €700 million. The post office network delivers and distributes €4.6 billion with a multiplier of two to local economies. The committee needs to ask local businesses, the baker, the candlestick maker and the butcher, how important that money is to their survival. This is important not just to the survival of local businesses but communities.

Deputy O'Rourke is correct that the post office is of significant value to communities. I have been a working postmaster for the past 25 years. I see the importance of the post office, not just to the most vulnerable and the marginal, but to all groups in society where they can interact in a trusted and secure environment with postal products, financial services and other services that we offer for the Government for free. We deliver a huge amount of information and services on behalf of the Government. The Government must realise the importance of the network and that the investment we are asking for is not that large. If one were to ask any layman to invest €17 million on the basis of the return we would give, before the question was even finished, the layman would have written the cheque. We are asking the Government to make the decision on that investment quickly.