Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

Late last week, RTE reported the alarming news that up to 500 post offices could be closed by An Post after a review of the network to be completed this year. If so, we could be left with a network of fewer than 800 post offices throughout the country and whole communities may be forced to travel for miles to access essential postal services.

The postal network has been decimated in the lifetime of the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Government. In 2000, approximately 1,800 postal units were in the network, yet this figure has dropped to just 1,300. At one stage last year, one post office was being shut down every ten days. Is the Minister responsible in attendance?

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