Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

It is interesting to note that people on long-term schemes use their books. Some 384,000 people and 272,000 child benefit customers are paid electronically while others such as job-seekers, one-parent families and early child care supplement recipients receive their payments through the post office. A significant number of people continue to choose to use post offices. I see it as important to give them the choice and, as the Deputy stated, it is important for rural Ireland. I accept post offices play an important role in rural Ireland. Everything we do must be transparent.

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