Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I very much welcome the motion. It is a very progressive effort. Any of us from rural communities will absolutely support and acknowledge the importance of the post office network. Into the future, I see the network not as a post office network but a community services network. I welcome the work of the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, in that regard, particularly on the post office hub working group.

I put forward a number of proposals by thinking outside the box. They included using our post office infrastructure as possible points for tourist and citizens' information or coin and note exchange. There are basic facilities that local authorities are not currently providing, such as toilets along the Wild Atlantic Way, and other public facilities such as defibrillators. If all the agencies responsible for the provision of those types of services were to help subsidise post offices, with a small bit from everyone, it would make them viable and we could protect that infrastructure.

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