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

As a society, we must make up our minds as to whether we want to maintain the post office network as it is. We have seen how communities that lose their post offices very quickly lose other services. An Post is a semi-State body to the same extent as the ESB, which is obliged to provide a service in every community. We must look at An Post. I have looked genuinely at this matter in a whole raft of ways. We can add services. Post offices have financial services, the social welfare contract and other things, which is all very well and good for those offices which are up and running. However, we must get down and deep into the smaller communities which are losing post offices, including Freemount and Rathcoole in the recent past. We must change the memorandum of understanding to provide that An Post has a legal obligation to ensure that the network is maintained and go after the business then.

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