James Breen (Clare, Independent)

I find it somewhat ironic to debate a motion which calls on the Government to become proactive in the operation of An Post. Several times in the past year I have submitted written questions to the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources regarding pay and pensions within An Post only to be told by the Office of the Ceann Comhairle that the Minister has no official responsibility to Dáil Éireann in this operational An Post matter. Perhaps this motion could have been ruled out of order.

It is important to point out the role post offices still play in our communities. The closure of rural post offices has become a feature of modern Ireland, although it has not improved life in those areas. In County Clare, Carrigaholt, Labasheeda and Liscannor have in the past few months lost their post offices, and last Thursday the An Post office in my village of Kilnamona closed after more than 100 years of service to the community. As one local stated, apart from mass, people would meet at the post office to discuss what was happening around the parish and county.

Times change and it is important that the An Post network moves with them. I congratulate Mr. Donal Connell, recently appointed chief executive of An Post, as one of his first actions was to authorise the payment of outstanding increases due to staff and pensioners under the Sustaining Progress agreement.

The closure of rural post offices has also resulted in many pensioners having to travel long distances to their nearest post office to collect pensions. In the absence of public transport it is often necessary to hire taxis. Yet in a reply to a parliamentary question the Minister for Social and Family Affairs stated that he would not authorise a support payment to people in such circumstances. The post office network should be accessible to rural communities, otherwise we should help bring people to their post office with no burden of cost.

When this House debated payments relating to nursing home charges and the establishment of a body to make these repayments, I stated that either the Department of Social and Family Affairs or An Post should be a mechanism by which such repayments are made. I still believe this long-established and broad network is underutilised. The banks in this country annually announce almost obscene profits and proper legislation should be enacted allowing the post office to compete effectively with the banks for the benefit of the consumer.

In the current age of computer and Internet activity, the role that the parcel delivery business plays should be utilised by An Post. The company should consider leasing some rural post offices to authorities such as the Citizens Advice Bureau for their own use.

When we put down questions in future to the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, will we be ruled out of order by the Ceann Comhairle? Will the Minister be prepared to take such questions in future?

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