Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for sharing time with me. I, too, compliment the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications on its focused, clear and targeted report, the recommendations of which are precise and leave no room for doubt or ambiguity.

The Irish Postmasters' Union commissioned report by Grant Thornton outlines in detail the range of services that could be provided through the post office network in Ireland and sets out a compelling case for new services and contracts. The post office network, which comprises approximately 1,150 post offices countrywide, is a key natural resource and a significant retail network. In many rural communities, the post office may be the only retail outlet available. They may, in the context of bank closures, be the only one available.

The post office network has the capacity to facilitate additional services. The Grant Thornton report identified such future services as motor taxation payments, extension of current banking facilities, payment of the household charge and hospital charges. It must be acknowledged, when considering long-term sustainability of the post office network, that the socio-economic factors are substantial. For many local businesses and residents, the closure of a post office could result in significant additional expenses, including time and cost of travelling to a post office located further from them. From a community perspective, it is undoubtedly the case that the post office acts as a focal point for information exchange that facilitates social inclusion and reduces isolation. It is important we are actively involved in post offices continuing to play a vital role in our communities. The biggest danger in this regard is the Department of Social Protection tender on electronic transfer of social welfare payments due in September which, if lost to the post office network, could lead to a significant reduction, from 51% to 3%, in cash transactions from December 2017 and could result in the closure of approximately 400 post offices, to the devastation of rural Ireland.

I support what has been proposed.

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