Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government contains a commitment that the Government will act swiftly on the recommendations of the post office business development group. Over the summer the Irish Postmasters' Union withdrew from the talks with An Post. It also refused to implement the new smart account. This was due to sheer frustration at the lack of interest shown by this Government in securing our post office network. As the Taoiseach knows, the post offices provide a basic and vital service which serves rural communities very well, but 600 post offices are now believed to be under threat. What action has been taken to address the concerns of the postmasters? What action will the Taoiseach and the Government take to protect this vital service? Will the Government implement all the recommendations of the Kerr report? It is high time the Taoiseach and the Government stood up for rural communities. We have seen too many services decimated and we will not be treated as second class citizens any longer.

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