Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is the very point I am trying to get to. We are supportive of the delegation's position, which Mr. O'Hara explained really well in his opening statement. We are supportive of this financial model and it must be actioned. The postmasters need certainty on this in the next two to three weeks. We are fast approaching June and the uncertainty that brings for all of the witnesses' colleagues throughout the country. It concerns me.

The delegation is representing a national organisation but I know of individual cases where I am concerned for people's welfare because the post office struggles. It must offer more services and income streams and in its current form, it does not.

There is the idea of somebody retiring and resigning a contracted position with An Post. Some of the contractors are under huge pressure because the current rationalisation model in a county like Clare means there should be a post office at every 15 km of map radius. It is worked out from the GPO and circles are drawn on maps around each post office. Some of the circles overlap and some do not. There is much pressure if a postmaster or postmistress decides he or she has had enough and wants to pack it in and go for an easier life. There is much pressure on the retirement, whether it is on age or health grounds or because of financial pressure or family reasons. When they retire, the rationalisation process kicks in and the post office closes. Very often, that contract is not awarded to somebody else and it becomes a survival game.

When Broadford post office in Clare closed, there was an unintentional and inadvertent consequence of making Kilkishen post office over the road stronger because of the ludicrous rationalisation rule. Has the postmasters' union a position on the 15 km rule? It should not be operating and it is shutting post offices that should be viable and remain open.