Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Durkan for raising this very important issue in the Dáil. Only some months ago An Post withdrew fully the services of a post office in Rockcorry, a village in my constituency. It got the opportunity when the then incumbent was going out of business. Prior to this closure, the local post offices in Stranooden, Swans Cross, Doohat and Aghabog were closed. They were closed simply because the income the incumbents were receiving was so low that nobody else in the area was prepared to take them on. No great fuss was made by the rural population and they accept they cannot have everything and that costs must be taken into account. However, the removal of the postal service from Rockcorry, where many houses have been built and hundreds more are proposed, is completely unacceptable.

For reasons that have not been well explained, the closure was not indicated when it was first stated the post office would be moved from its existing location. We were initially told there would be an advertisement and that a post office would be put in the place of the old one but, as soon as the application appeared, it became very clear that the new operation would not be a post office but an agency. The applicants wanted an agency in the supermarket, filling station or wherever else they could put it. A number of applications were received and I wish the successful applicant all the best. However, one should remember that a service has been removed from an area that has no bus service or other means of transport to the nearest town, Cootehill, which is five miles distant. This town is not even in the same county.

In another post office in County Monaghan, which is smaller than the one in Rockcorry, there is a new computerised system. It is great and if it had been installed in the post office in Rockcorry, there is no doubt that it would have been able to provide a better service.

There should be political accountability. When the Minister in charge was contacted regarding the case in question, he said he had no role in the matter. He had handed over responsibility completely to An Post, which is totally in charge. Surely there should be ministerial accountability and some understanding that such closures should not happen.

Deputy Durkan referred to labour relations. It is vital that there is an agreement on the income of post office staff. If it were not for their receiving additional income, they certainly could not stay in business. Computerisation and modernisation of the village-type post office is required to ensure it is not done away with. It is important that An Post is warned that if it tries to remove the postal service from Cootehill, which is the main post office in the region, and turn it into some sort of agency or private affair, there will be a major reaction.

An Post has a great opportunity to build up a service. In the early days of the State, one could post a letter in Dublin and be sure it would reach County Monaghan the next morning. One could receive a reply the next evening. For some time, however, it has been taking weeks for letters to arrive. This must be addressed. There has been some improvement but dramatic change is required. An Post provides a useful service and the Government should not let the network be destroyed.

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