Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

recognises that:— the recent announced closure of 159 post offices across the State will have a devastating effect on many rural communities;

— post offices form a vital part of communities, and have suffered long-term neglect by successive Governments, with hundreds of closures since 2000;

— successive Governments have allowed the post office network to decline and have not allowed alternative services to be established and expanded;

— postmasters and postmistresses are entitled to accept retirement packages, however, the criteria used by An Post in such instances, to retain post offices and advertise a new contract, are flawed; and

— A Programme for a Partnership Government commits to protecting the postal network; andcalls on the Government to:— prevent the closure of 159 post offices across the State by advertising new contracts, offering alternative services and allowing the potential for co-location of post offices;

— reinvigorate the network of post offices by extending the services which post offices provide, and by retaining existing services such as social welfare payments;

— implement proposals contained in the Final Report of the Post Office Network Business Development Group (Kerr Report) from 2016 which included post offices providing alternative services such as financial services and Government services before closing post offices; and

— commit to a new model of community banking through the post office network.

This is important because it is about rural Ireland and the future of services in rural Ireland. Today, we had representatives of postmasters protesting outside this building about this important issue. We should not see the post office as something just to have in the community but rather something that is needed in a community. It can be if we have sufficient Government action. We need to see the post office in the community, as part of it, providing important services for the benefit of local people. It can be with long-term vision where additional services are provided.

A previous motion was passed two years ago, which was moved by the Rural Independent Group, but little or no action was taken. There was a lack of follow-up on the Kerr report from 2016 and an Oireachtas committee report from 2013. The progress made has been a little like a slow bicycle race. These all stressed the need for additional services to be provided through our post office network, which is key. Instead, successive Governments have allowed it to limp along.

Previous Governments viewed the post office network as a burden. From 2000 to 2010, under a previous Government, 732 post offices closed their doors. There have been Garda station closures and 542,000 households are still waiting for high-speed broadband. This is the situation in rural Ireland. Post office masters and mistresses are entitled to retire, but this does not mean the post office has to retire or cease operation. We need a long-term vision and interest in the service from the Government when it comes to rural Ireland. Some 390 post office masters and mistresses were offered exit packages recently and not offered new contracts. Of those, 159 post masters and mistresses are retiring, and have the right to do so. The remaining 231 were not offered new contracts due to falling incomes.

We need to address the criteria used by An Post to define a settlement, which are that there must be 500 or more people. Many of these villages have up to 600 or 700 people living on the outskirts. I can name plenty of them. It does not take into account the true population in the rural area. We have a dispersed population and clusters of houses on the outskirts of villages and small towns. We have one of the most dispersed populations in Europe. Everyone will have examples in their constituencies where they know the true population is not reflected. Much has been made of there being one within 15 km and nobody having to travel more than 15 km.

For someone on a pension of €220 a week, that could mean the first €30 or €35 could be gone on a taxi fare to get to the nearest post office to collect the pension.

Co-location is another important issue. It is something I have supported from the outset, although I accept that others have opposed it at various times. Sinn Féin believes co-location is a real option, but it is not being considered or sufficiently promoted. The Government and An Post need to support co-location. There are many places where a post office could easily be combined with a local shop or other business, thus giving an additional income and providing for the continuation of postal services, as well as new services. We need additional services, including Government services such as motor tax renewal. Having a State service in the community will benefit and contribute to communities.

Given that banks have withdrawn from rural Ireland, we must consider the introduction of community banking. There was a commitment in that regard in the programme for Government, specifically for the German Sparkasse model. In Germany there are 390 individual local authority owned banks. Another option is the New Zealand Kiwibank model which now has a 20% share of the banking market and 25% of all bank customers in that country.

The post office is the last remaining service in many areas. Communities need services in order to stay alive. In addition to a postal network, communities also need broadband and rural transport services, which many areas do not have. Rural areas will become barren places if post office services are stripped from communities. I ask the Government to recognise that in many cases the post office is similar to the last man standing. We must retain services in rural areas by channelling them through the local post office, thus keeping local villages alive and maintaining vital services in rural areas.

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