Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is good that post offices are diversifying, and the Minister mentioned the closure of AIB branches. The idea of our State-owned banks, or our pillar banks, providing a personal service is fading fast and we will see more branches closing than opening. There will be even more work for post offices.

The post office in question is the last post office in this parish. There were two, but the Cleariestown office closed a couple of years ago. There are three post offices in the neighbouring parish. The local people have organised a public meeting tomorrow night as they are really upset at the idea that they may not have a post office in the future and that there will be no post office in the parish. The post office most people are using now is in Bridgetown, but there are no banking facilities there. Although it is a big loss to a small number of people, because many go to the nearest town to do their banking, it means a lot to people who are immobile and who are not computer-literate.

Duncormick post office has an average of 800 transactions per week, which is not a large number, but surely it is enough to make it sustainable. I asked An Post if it would cost money to keep Duncormick post office open but it said it would not. An Post has more than 1,100 post offices and I asked if it wanted fewer than 1,000. The answer I was given was "Probably, yes" but at the same time it has admitted it would not cost it money to keep Duncormick post office open.

I know An Post is a commercial State body with its own board and that it makes its own decisions, but nobody has as much influence and control over it as the Minister. I ask him to look favourably on Duncormick's retaining its post office.

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