Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Durkan for allowing me a few minutes of his time to make some general points about the importance of the post office network throughout the country, not just in rural areas. The Taoiseach and Leader of the Minister of State's party has made much play of the importance of community. He even brought in an American sociologist, Mr. Putnam, some time ago to educate the parliamentary party about the importance of community. This, however, does not seem to resonate too well with the Minister of State and his colleagues when one considers how they have stood idly by and allowed the post office network to disintegrate without any interest from the party in helping to ensure that some vital responsibilities and services are left, such as the service in many rural areas.

This recalls the comments and expert advice that suggested the Garda station should be in a central location and the squad car with one or two gardaí would solve all the problems within a 20-mile radius. We know now that anti-social behaviour and criminal activity are not confined to the precincts of a Garda station in a central location but are rampant throughout the country. We need to relocate and reopen Garda stations that Fianna Fáil Ministers and the Progressive Democrats Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform have closed down, through their policies, in recent years. It makes no sense that, at a time of unprecedented growth in housing developments in many villages, some planned but much of it unplanned, provision is not made for essential community services, such as crèche and sporting facilities, Garda stations or post offices.

It is difficult to understand the Government's rural development policy. Before the last general election, the Minister of State at the then Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Deputy Davern, published a very noble rural development policy mentioning, among other things, the importance of the post office network. He said a viable community would need a central State service such as An Post that could disseminate information or other services. Instead, in my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny — I am particularly familiar with the Kilkenny end of it — post offices have been closed in Stoneyford, Hugginstown, Kells and Jenkinstown. Even that in my parish of Tullaroan was recently downgraded. An Post is buying off the post mistress or master with a few euro, creating a redundancy package for the individual, closing the post office network without the Government intervening to halt this undesirable development.

The motion before the House calls for the upgrading of a service that has stood the test of time. Apart from the economic service, it has been essential to social contact and communication. The Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats Deputies know that this issue will strike at the heart of rural communities if it is not resolved quickly. I ask the Minister of State to take an interest in intervening in these matters as the then Taoiseach, John Bruton, did in 1996 when his post office was under threat in Kilcloon, County Meath. He intervened directly, stating categorically to the board of An Post that as a matter of Government policy he was not prepared to accept the downgrade. That is the type of initiative required to ensure that we have an essential rural service.

I ask the Minister of State to ensure, in small urban or rural communities, a State network through An Post that provides a wide range of services, apart from post office responsibilities. What better way to take on board the one-stop shop provision, enunciated in the motion, than through an existing State network, the post offices. The Government should take into account its social responsibility to all the people, rural and urban, and ensure that the computerisation of those services is not further neglected. It should ensure that other post offices do not follow those already closed which are starved of investment until the post master or mistress is bought off with a few euro and the service is no longer available. Deputy Durkan has done the House a good service in tabling a motion that will put it up to the Government Members tomorrow when the vote is called. We will see what kind of amendment the Government uses to challenge the Opposition in providing an essential rural and urban network for service provision.

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