Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Seamus Healy and his colleagues in the Technical Group for bringing forward this excellent motion. I begin by declaring an interest in this matter in that I own a small post office and am the postmaster there. I am happy to say that it provides a job for one individual. If everybody created one job, it would be a great thing. I compliment the Irish Postmasters' Union, including its general secretary, Brian McGann, as well as Tom O'Callaghan and the other members who represent postmasters throughout the country in such an excellent way.

I welcome the postmasters and other post office workers who are in the Gallery tonight. I also welcome in advance the people who will travel from all parts of the country tomorrow to show the Minister how people in both rural and urban areas feel about their local post office. These are genuine people. It is not easy for them to take time out from their busy lives to get on a bus in Limerick, Galway or Kerry and come up to Dublin. They are doing so because they want to show the Government what they believe in their hearts and souls. It is very wrong that the Minister and the Government are putting people to this worry. They were sold a pup in the programme for Government because the Government has not kept the promises it contains.

I compliment the excellent people who have run post offices over the years. When I hear about Tesco and other places running post offices, I am reminded of what happened in Killarney. Tesco was like Lord Haw-Haw when it began selling cheap petrol in the town and ultimately shut down 12 or 13 petrol stations. Once that was done, it increased the price of petrol and Killarney is now one of the most expensive places in the country in which to buy petrol. This happened because of one multinational company that came in and sold people a pup. That company will do the exact same with the post offices if it gets them.

I would like to see the Fine and Labour Party Members who will vote against this motion tomorrow night going back to their constituencies and telling people what they did. They are doing one thing in here but saying something different in their own places. I have to tolerate people from the Minister's party and from Fine Gael going around the constituency I represent letting on that they are for rural post offices before coming up here and voting against Deputy Healy's motion. It is hypocritical and misleading. They are lying and that is wrong.

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