Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I absolutely agree with Deputy Boyle. Funnily enough I have been driving this matter since I became a Minister of State six or seven years ago. The reluctance has been on the part of An Post to get on and do the job. It said it did not have the resources. We then offered capital resources to try to enable it to do the job. I have no problem in providing funding of a capital nature, including training on a one-off basis and so on to install the system. I more than agree with everything Deputy Boyle said. AIB banking services, passport applications, mobile phone top-ups and all these other services are now available through post offices. We are committed to providing these services on the islands but the obligation is on An Post in the first instance.

There are post offices on 11 of the islands, two of which, Árainn Mhór and Inis Mór nó Árainn are fully automated. The proposals we got are for Oileán Thoraí i dTír Chonaill, Clare Island and Inishturk in County Mayo, Boffin, Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr in County Galway, Bere Island, Oileán Cléire and Sherkin in County Cork, which gives a total of nine, and when the other two are added this gives a total of 11 post offices, nine of which require to be automated.

We have no problem with the one-off cost. The issue is that having put in the system An Post claims it does not have enough money to run it. It is not my business to pay running cost subsidies on islands. If I start down that road every agency of the State would be looking for running cost subsidies but they will not get them. We will have to resolve that issue.

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