Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The situation at An Post is critical. I am not too lifted by the response that we have received. We need decisive action and we need it quickly. An Post does not have time on its side. The 1,150 post offices around the country do not have time on their side. An Post is a trusted service. The current difficulties provide an opportunity. We need to make a move. We have been hearing talk about what should be done to broaden the number of services for years. Previous Governments of all hues have not acted decisively. We would not be where we are now if they had. We are where we are and we need to move on from that.

When are services for motor tax, business rates, Government services and banking opportunities going to be rolled out? The Kerr report has been around for months. We have seen the outcome of the initial report. It needs to be grabbed. This is not something that we can play around with for another year, two years or three years. We cannot have paralysis. We combined here to pass the Bill. We took decisive action here a couple of weeks ago in support of the Government Bill, because we saw the need for it.

I am saying to the Minister, and one of the problems is there are too many Ministers responsible for it, that we need decisive action on the post office network and to use its difficulties as an opportunity.

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