Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister needs to get the message here tonight that he is not a bystander in or a commentator on these matters. He is the shareholder on behalf of Joe and Mary public, the citizens of this State.

Many proposals have been put forward on what should be done. Over the past two years, I, on behalf of our party, Sinn Féin, and my predecessor, the former Deputy Michael Colreavy, have put forward many sensible proposals on the expansion of services, community banking and co-location. We have been very open in recognising the need for flexibility and change. However, the Government amendment calls for the Government services to stay in the network but it is not getting the additional services recommended such as motor tax renewals, rates payments, etc. It has ignored those. It also calls for an additional service to ensure the network's viability. The Minister said that 17 out of the 19 recommendations in the Kerr report have been implemented. I have some of them in front of me that have not been done. I refer to the network renewal, a basic payment account, motor tax, a financial service strategy and credit unions, with the exception of a pilot scheme.

Despite the commitment in the programme for Government, that has not happened. The political will has been lacking, and this is the key issue. In its amendment, the Government calls for a proposal to ensure that An Post services are appropriate in the areas where the 159 postmasters are retiring and to take into account the potential for co-location. I take it that the Government also questions the current criteria.

I made the point earlier today to the Minister that the issue of retirement should not equal closure. Just because somebody is retiring from a business or a job does not mean the factory should be closed down. That is just a convenient way of doing it.

I want to revisit the definition of a settlement with the Minister. I refer to settlement areas with a population of 500. What about the town of Geashill in County Offaly? That town has 500 citizens living within its environs or very close to them. Another such town is Ballybrittas in County Laois. Moneygall, on the southern tip of Offaly on the border with Tipperary, needs to be looked at again. Those are three post offices that are up for closure.

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