Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Martin, Mr. O'Hara and Mr. McEntee to the committee. I was following the proceedings from my office and I have read the written statement they provided. I will get to the finances in a moment because that is why they are here. It is what will save the network.

First, I wish to touch on the human aspects of this matter. I have homed in on two things Mr. O'Hara's opening statement. He stated that postmasters are "independent small and medium enterprises contracted by An Post to run post offices". They are not State employees and they are not paid a fixed salary. He later stated: "We receive calls daily from burnt-out postmasters in all areas of the country who are seriously considering their immediate future." In recent months, Dáil Éireann has heard of soldiers who have had to sleep in cars and of nurses who could not pay their mortgage. Are some postmasters - pillars of the community who provide a vital service in rural Ireland - impoverished by the current model of payment they receive?