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

I appreciate the Minister's response. He is new in the Department and I do not blame him personally. However, now that he is in the position, it is very important he is proactive in the way he has said he will be. I greatly appreciate that.

Although people might not realise it, at present a review is carried out every three months on the remuneration received by post offices, and they get paid based on the number of transactions. Every post office that is coming up for review is having its income dramatically reduced. I have consistently said over recent years - this is not scaremongering but a fact - that 700 post offices will close down in the next three years. It is not the big, bad Government that is going to close them - the postmasters will close them themselves because their income will not be enough to keep their doors open. I know this because I am in the business myself and know the income is very small and it costs a lot of money to keep the doors open. If we lose the post offices from our villages and towns, that will be the last thing to go, given we have lost the small shops and pubs. It is within the gift of the Government, if it is proactive in the way the Minister says it will be-----

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