Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is the figure that will cover it. I am not going to repeat what has been said. We all accept the fabulous work that is done and the complete necessity of the post office network, whether that is in urban settings - what the union is saying about post offices in urban settings being in danger of closing is frightening - but it is an absolute necessity and is a major part of rural infrastructure.

We are talking about the necessity of the €12 million, in a perfect world, for the services that the post office is offering at this point in time. On the issue of any other services, such as the wider banking services referred to, or if the post offices are offered State services, is that money on top of that €12 million, which would make the system more sustainable? I know that the union will not engage in a negotiation here, and certainly not with this speaker.