Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad the Minister is here to hear this. We in the Rural Independent Group brought in a Bill here last September. It was agreed by the Government. My secretary spent time negotiating with the Minister's office, for which I thank him, and the Taoiseach's office and the Department of the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Michael Ring - God help us - to agree on wording for it. We agreed on a Bill that committed to doing something about the post offices. We had the Kerr report, and report upon report. It is blatantly obvious that diminishing the business is diminishing the incomes of the postmistresses. That is what is going to happen. Reviews a year or two after a diminishment show diminished income, and the advice is to close the post office. It is closure by stealth.

We have had the Kerr report. I am depending on the Minister, Deputy Naughten. The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Michael Ring, did a complete Pontius Pilate exercise; he washed has hands of it. He does not care about post offices. He talked about a hurdy-gurdy or some kind of mobile post office and then ran away from it. It was left to a different Department, that of the Minister before us, Deputy Denis Naughten. It is in the hands of the latter. I acknowledge from the negotiations on the formation of the Government that this is a very high priority for the Minister. We expect him to deliver. We expect that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, and the other independent Ministers will insist that the Government cry halt because all the reports, activities and talk are useless.

What does the unanimous acceptance of our Bill in this House mean? Does it mean anything to the postmistresses, their staff and families? I met many of them on Sunday night in Cork on the way home from the meeting in Athlone. They are depressed because the Government is tying their hands behind their backs, blindfolding them and taking away the business. What will offering to give the post offices bank accounts do? It will take further business from them. They should be given responsibility for dealing with car tax or such business. The Government should consider the banking system in Iceland and bring in the credit unions also, if necessary, but it should not be all talk and do nothing for the post offices. It is in the hands of the Minister. I hope he does not wash his hands of the matter; I know he will not. It is bad enough for the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Michael Ring, to do that. The people deserve better. The post offices are the hubs of the community. They are the tourist offices and they are the facilitators. If anything goes wrong and it is noted that somebody is missing of a Friday, owing to sudden illness, for example, his or her life may be saved in many cases. The Government should have some respect for the post offices at this stage. They are being kicked around like a political football for the past ten years. It is time for action.

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