Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That reply is unbecoming of the Minister of State and he knows, coming from a rural community, that it is balderdash. This is a rotten and stinking deal done by the Irish Postmasters Union, IPU. Who gave it any mandate to close post offices? I salute all the postmasters and postmistresses. More power to any of them who took the redundancy as they are entitled to it. Park that first of all. It did not give the IPU the right to negotiate away services from my village in Newcastle in Tipperary or the other five villages in Tipperary losing their post offices. The Minister would not even come in here, which demonstrates his disdain.

I have written to the four Fianna Fáil Deputies, including Deputy Michael McGrath, who are renegotiating the confidence and supply agreement. If Fianna Fáil cares about rural Ireland, with the Government it will prioritise these post offices and disband this cabal of people on a so-called independent inquiry team. Its members had neither the manners nor the respect to write back to our committee in Newcastle, which has gone about its work diligently and honestly. This is a cop-out and disgrace for the Minister of State to say what he has about this being successful.

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