Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Can some obligation be put on An Post to maintain the network? The ESB is a case in point - it is a commercial semi-State company but is obliged to maintain networks in every community. Is it not time to be realistic? It is 23 or 24 years since the "Save our post offices" campaign began, yet the post office network has been steadily eroded. When a post office closes, the community closes also.

Is there a possibility that under EU and domestic law we can push An Post to maintain the network which will then become the Government office in a community? It is high time we dramatically challenged what is there at the moment, otherwise I fear for the future of many post offices.

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