Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We seem to have a tendency of failing to leave alone those organisations which work well. That goes to the heart of the matter under discussion. Our post offices work very well and the staff who work in them provide a range of services in a very friendly, helpful and courteous way. There is potential for even further services to be provided at our post offices but we are now finding they are under threat. The Irish Postmasters' Union's slogan to the effect that we should not let the heart of our communities die is very apt. Post offices are at the heart of communities and the offer a range of services to people of all ages. I acknowledge the work of the Irish Postmasters' Union in respect of this matter. All postmasters want is for the current Administration to honour the commitment it made in the programme for Government. That will mean developing a plan. Without a plan, difficulties will arise in the context of the very survival of the post office network. It is vital that the Government should honour its commitment and bring forward an action plan which contains timelines. Nobody wants to witness the demise of the post office network.

People trust their local post offices. This is because they have built up relationships with the staff. Post offices are reliable, dependable and extremely receptive to those people who, for various reasons, do not want to conduct business online. The personal touch is in evidence to a much greater degree in post offices than in banks. On the occasions on which I have visited bank branches in recent times, I have continually been directed to machines. I do not want to do business with a machine, I want to do it with a real person. That is what happens when I visit my local post office. The range of services available at the post office includes social welfare payments, savings facilities, the passport service, bill-pay services, postal services and the purchase of stationery supplies. Post offices are also a centre of information in respect of the various services that are available within communities. They are, therefore, a real asset. There are serious implications to not having in place a plan to ensure their sustainability and viability. What will happen is that there will be a drop in the number of people in employment and up to 500 post offices will be closed before 2017.

The Irish Postmasters' Union has commissioned two reports, the first of which includes a series of proposals on what could make post offices more sustainable. Each of these proposals included a cost-benefit outcome and the report estimates that if they were all implemented, more than €80 million in savings could be realised. Most of those savings would be to the benefit of the taxpayer. When the union requested a follow-up study, this concluded that the sustainability of post offices is at risk as a result of the Government's attitude towards contracts such as that relating to welfare payments. The system of making such payments through post offices works very well. This is because post office staff know the people who are in receipt of such payments. If somebody does not turn up to obtain his or her payment as a result of an accident or something worse, the staff will follow up on the matter. The Irish Postmasters' Union informs us that its staff act as a fraud deterrent element. As already stated, the staff know the people who present regularly to receive their payments and, as a result, the threat of impersonation is eliminated. It is also the case that if a person does not collection his or her payment within a certain period, it will be returned to the Exchequer. If payments are made electronically through the banks, there is no oversight whatsoever.

Post offices play a really important role in the context of budgeting. This is because people can pay particular amounts off their bills on a regular basis. They can also buy special stamps to save for their television licences. I cannot see the banks providing a similar service. In addition, banks are not always so easily accessible. This is due to the number of closures and amalgamations that have taken place in recent years. Post offices are very accessible because many of them are located on streets on which small businesses are to be found. When they visit their post offices, people also frequent these businesses and shop locally. If post offices are closed, the businesses to which I refer will also close and more ghost villages will be created as a result. Post offices provide excellent service in the context of facilitating people's passport applications and giving them access to State savings and investment options. I am of the view that they could also play a role in the context of the new driving licence initiative.

Great credit is due to the Deputy Healy for drafting this motion. When I first read the motion, I could not envisage how the Government could table an amendment to it. The Deputy is basically calling on the Government to develop a comprehensive action plan. The Government's amendment acknowledges that the network is a vital and unique asset and states that it is "essential to our local communities and the country as a whole". If we all agree that it is essential, then why has an amendment been tabled and why is Deputy Healy's motion, as drafted, not being accepted?

I accept the use of e-mail has caused a decline but I do not think that decline is irreversible. I would hate to see us lose the art of letter-writing and I would hate to think of what could have been lost if e-mail had been invented years ago.

The Government amendment acknowledges the suitability of the post office network for over-the-counter business and service. The Minister stated in his contribution that maintaining the post office network is at the heart of national and local community life. Competition law and procurement are all very well but they should not be favoured at the expense of a viable, thriving business that is providing essential services to the communities we all represent in both urban and rural areas.

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