Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government does not have it either. An Post runs the postal services. With regard to a number of post offices, people have given notice that they no longer want to be postmasters. There is nothing we can do about it if there are no people available to take up that service. An Post will make those decisions. There is a consultation process which will involve it determining if a post office is viable, but somebody has to take on the business of that post office.

We are doing the direct opposite to what the Deputy has said. We are trying to do something to save post offices by giving them new services, such as banking, to help bring them into the modern era and allow them to compete with the banks and the credit unions. We will try to save as many post offices as possible but I want to put on the record that I will not be closing any post office. That is not a decision for me or the Government. That will be a matter for An Post and the postmasters or postmistresses if they believe they are not in a position to continue on in their business. We are doing everything in our power to try to save post offices. I intend to bring a package to Government between now and the end of the year with the intention of trying to save as many post offices as possible, but not every post office is viable. Many people complain about the closure of post offices. I have attended public meetings where people said they do want closures of post offices, but they are the very people who do not use their local post office. If people want them, they will have to use them. If they want to keep them, they will have to support their local post offices. I want as many post offices as possible to be maintained and retained in rural Ireland.

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