Martin Ferris (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

If 80 rural post offices are to close as reported, it would be a national scandal and it has to be resisted. I would like to think that the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, who comes from a rural community in one of the most western parts of our country, would have a full understanding of the value of post offices and the life link it is for rural areas. Over recent years we have seen the total erosion of small shops, the creameries are practically gone, Garda stations have closed down and a lot of pubs have closed down. These are all areas of what I would call rural connection. Those facilities, along with our small post offices, are of immense value particularly for those who live in isolated rural areas and those who are elderly. They depend upon that for the social connection.

Representatives of An Post management told the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs that 55 out of 500 are unsustainable. However, how is unsustainability defined? Is it defined just in monetary terms or by the social value it gives to communities? I argue that small post offices are invaluable to rural areas. Elderly people can go to post offices and the post offices come to them through their postman and they keep that connection. If the post offices are closed down it would be another death knell to rural areas.

We need to be prepared to stand up and ensure we judge the value to the community, not as unsustainable but as sustainable. Having such facilities in a community adds to the sustainability of the community. The Government and previous Governments have had a very negative impact on rural areas. I have considerable faith in the Minister of State, Deputy Ring; I say that as an Opposition spokesperson. The fact that he lives in a rural area and is acquainted with what is happening there means that he should be able to take this on and defend the facilities for rural areas. He should defend the small post offices so that they survive and that connection to rural communities is maintained.

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