Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this motion. As has been outlined by other Members, there is no doubt the post office network is vital to rural communities and to helping communities to survive.

In the past week in Donegal a consultation concluded on the future of the Dunlewey post office in west Donegal. One wonders why An Post is even having a consultation on the matter given that the nearest post office is approximately eight miles from Dunlewey. It should be a no-brainer that the post office would be maintained in the community and An Post is obliged to ensure that the post office there will be maintained now and in the future.

The post office network business development group has been meeting for approximately two years and it is about time for it to begin to deliver on some of the proposals that have emerged. Government commitment is required to make that happen. While some of the proposals the Minister outlined earlier are interesting, we constantly see the Department of Social Protection trying to move people away from the post office network. It is just not acceptable that various Departments behave in a different manner towards the network. Deputy Sherlock outlined that people can choose whether they want their social welfare payment to be paid into their bank account or to collect it in the post office. They can make the choice but the way it is pitched by the Department of Social Protection means they do not appear to have an option, which is not right. That results in the figures being skewed. For the foreseeable future the social welfare contract will be the lifeblood of the post office network right across the country and it must be maintained in order to allow the other proposals to develop, if they are introduced.

The public banking proposal is interesting but I wonder how the Central Bank will view that and how it will be regulated. I could see the proposal being bogged down in regulation for the next five to ten years while we wait for the Central Bank to make a decision. The Department could make a decision to have community banking but I would like to hear more details about its regulation. All the ducks need to be lined up in a row in order that such a proposal can be put into practice as quickly as possible.

The option outlined by the Minister concerning a mobile post office does not make sense and I do not think it could be introduced because An Post would baulk at that option and would not want to carry the cost of operating such a system. We must find another option to maintain the post office network. In addition, there must be an option for postmasters to choose to move out of the service and to be compensated if they choose to do so, especially in the event of a co-operative post office taking over.

See this speech in context