Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Táim fíorbhuíoch as deis a bheith agam labhairt ar an ábhar fíorthábhachtach seo. Tréaslaím leis an Teachta Kenny a chuir an rún ós comhair na Dála seo le síniú. Shínigh mé féin agus mo chuid comhghleacaithe é. Cuireann sé isteach go mór ar mo chontae féin ina bhfuil 17 d'oifigí poist atá le druid mar gheall ar an neamart a bhfuil an Rialtas ag déanamh orthu. Is ionsaí millteanach é ar cheantair tuaithe, agus go háirithe ar cheantair Ghaeltachta ina bhfuil go leor de na hoifigí poist sin lonnaithe. Mar a dúirt an Teachta Mary Lou McDonald, tugann an Clár Rialtais gealltanas go mbeadh an Rialtas ag caomhnú agus ag cothú na n-oifigí poist seo.

A Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to protect the postal network, but, far from protecting it, the Government is decimating it and driving a knife through the heart of rural Ireland. It is very clear from the meetings I have attended in recent weeks that the people of rural Ireland will not stand for it. They are on their feet, attending meetings and making clear that they will not stand for another cut in services in their local communities.

It was announced that 159 post offices were to close. However, all Members know that post offices and the services they provide have long been a symbol of rural Ireland. These services have been part of the fabric of almost every aspect of community life, both economically and socially, for many years. We also know that that fabric and those institutions has been under sustained attack since the 2000s. As Deputy Mary Lou McDonald stated, 732 post offices were closed over 11 years by Fianna Fáil-led Governments. On average, those Governments oversaw the closure of a post office every week. Closures were made in my parish, affecting communities such as those in Crolly and Gweedore, places where people wanted to keep their post office and postmasters wanted to ensure there was a service, but they were closed down. The Government then closed the closest post office to Gweedore, that in Dunlewey. It was trying to sell a pup to the public and state they could go to the post office in a place such as Bunbeg or wherever the nearest one might be. However, the Minister now plans to close those post offices.

Last night I attended a meeting in Gortahork. The 3,500 people who live there will be left without a post office. The Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Joe McHugh, tá sé ag caint ar straitéis 20 bliain. Cad é an maith atá le straitéis 20 bliain muna bhfuil seirbhísí curtha ar fáil ó thaobh na Gaeilge de? Ba chóir go mbeadh seirbhísí ar fáil i nGaeilge sna ceantair sin. Nil sé ceart nó cóir go bhfuil daoine sa cheantar is láidre Gaeltachta sa tír ag fágáil an cheantair. Tagann sé salach ar an méid atá an Rialtas ag déanamh.

Is féidir leis an rud ceart a dhéanamh. Is féidir leis éisteacht le glór phobal na tuaithe. The Government can still do the right thing. It can listen to the voices of rural communities. It can listen to the voices of the people who have taken to the streets and sent the clear message for us to deliver to the Government that they will not take this lying down because they have seen what the closure of a post office means for communities. They saw this when Fianna Fáil closed 732 post offices, many of which were located in small shops in rural Ireland; the shops were next to close, followed by the withdrawal of bus and other services. They are saying there can be no more such closures. It is time for the Government to do the right thing. It is time for Fianna Fáil to apologise for what it did, stand with Sinn Féin and support the motion and stand with the people of rural Ireland and defend the services they have available.

See this speech in context