John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On the same issue, the Government has sat on the Kerr report for two years. Nine priority actions and 23 recommendations are identified in the Kerr report. It is a classic case of the Government fiddling while Rome burns. In my constituency of Wicklow, two post offices are now closed pending the outcome of this review. We know about the issue of the electronic fund transfer. That is a key issue and one of the main recommendations from the Kerr report and without it being fully implemented and put in place, there will still be an issue in terms of people opting to have their social welfare payment sent to a bank as opposed to a post office. If the Taoiseach is serious about this issue, and I have to take him and his Government at their word that they are serious about protecting our rural post offices and post offices across the State, he would first end the confusion between the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, and the Minister, Deputy Naughten, and act to implement all the recommendations and priority actions in the Kerr report. Will the Taoiseach commit to implementing the actions in the Kerr report and putting in place an electronic fund transfer system?

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