Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The importance of the post office network is critical to the Government. It is in the programme for Government that we need to ensure we have a sustainable and viable post office network. Postmasters have a contract with An Post and this is a matter between postmasters and An Post. They are commercial decisions with An Post. That said, I have received Government approval to set up a high-level governmental group led by my Department but also involving the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to work with other Departments with regard to identifying offline services. This work was done previously but this group must come back by the end of July. I hear what the Deputy said in respect of the June deadline and the concerns relating to the post office network across the country and I assure him that everything is being considered and that we want to work with An Post and my colleagues in Government to ensure the post office network has a long-term future in terms of providing more services and to look at what we can do in the interim.