Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)

I am the Sinn Féin spokesperson on community development, rural affairs and the Gaeltacht. I see every day in my own life and in my political practice the value of the network and the value to local communities, both rural and urban, of an accessible service that offers a level of quality and has an impeccable record of trust and recognition. In many communities, not just rural ones, it is the only front-facing public service available to them.

Those of us who attended the briefings last month heard and read the stark warnings from the postmasters' union about closures. We have already seen closures across the State, particularly in my own case in An Rinn in Gaeltacht na nDéise, the west Waterford Gaeltacht. The new contract offered by An Post to postmasters or people considering becoming a postmaster is closure by stealth. It is an attempt to reduce the network by stealth without saying post offices will be closed. I think the words used were "natural attrition". People retire. People come to retirement age and are entitled to their retirement. People retire and those post offices cannot be maintained because it is not an attractive prospect and the contract is not viable or sustainable. Does Mr. McRedmond agree with my reading that it is closure by stealth?