Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

My colleagues, the rural Independent Deputies, deserve great credit for using their Private Members' time to bring forward this motion, which seeks to secure the future for rural post offices. I commend them on a thoughtful, well-considered motion. My understanding is that the Government will not oppose the motion which, if I am right, is to be welcomed.

We are all acutely aware of the challenges faced by rural post offices. In Arklow, south Wicklow, recently, the post office on the main street nearly closed. That would have caused a huge problem for many people in the town but, thankfully, it did not come to pass.

We have had the Post Office Network Business Development Group report for ten months and while it is within the programme for Government that progress must be made, we have seen little so far. We know that almost half of all post offices face closure. We know there is an extensive network in place which is key to rural communities, villages and towns. We know the post office network employs over 4,000 people. A combination of the post office network and the credit union network can provide a viable, sustainable, very important network, access to credit within rural communities and, critically, keep the post office network not just alive but growing to ensure it remains a key part that is central to rural communities.

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