Ms Debbie Byrne:

There are still 300-plus postmasters and postmistresses on the old S52 contract. They are essentially subvented. An Post is subventing the deep rural post offices in addition to the new funding that will come from the Government. In the past, there was a declining rate for the bigger post offices in the context of social welfare. Ours is a commercial organisation. This is a business like any other. With the number of social welfare transactions declining, postmasters have to run their offices as businesses. Gone are the days when you could wait for someone to come in, show their verification and collect their social welfare and then sell them a stamp.