Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The closure of the rural post office network is happening across the country, with perhaps the single exception of Dublin. A Programme for a Partnership Government refers to: supporting the post office network and expanding and developing services delivered through post offices; expanding social welfare contracts; the provision of Government services through the network; the development of banking services by means of a community banking structure; and the development of post offices one-stop shops or hubs for Government services. That makes perfect sense in maximising the national asset that we have in our rural post office network and in supporting rural communities. These are communities that have had post offices since the foundation of the State, yet the Government is decommissioning these services in rural Ireland. Nowhere in A Programme for a Partnership Government is it suggested that there should be a closure of 390 post offices, which is what will happen during the lifetime of this Government. The Government is going to allow this happen.

Rural communities are not seeking handouts. An Post and postmasters are not looking for handouts in order to preserve their services, they are looking for what is committed to in A Programme for a Partnership Government. Fianna Fáil referred to the public service obligation prior to the budget. Perhaps this has also been discussed in the context of the confidence and supply agreement. The post office network is not looking for handouts, it is seeking to provide services that are meaningful to the population that will support rural communities.

This matter has reached crisis point. Some 50 post offices are due to close in January. A total of 159 will have closed by the end of the first quarter of 2019 and 390 are earmarked for closure under the An Post programme. This is not what was expected from the Government. Such is the level of demoralisation, there is difficulty in attracting postmasters to run post offices which are deemed viable by An Post.

How can the Taoiseach speak of a republic of opportunity without offering rural Ireland a hope as his policies reduce services within rural communities? Rural transport is not being developed, rural medical services are being allowed to diminish, rural financial services delivered by An Post are being diminished and rural broadband is not being rolled out. This Government is not addressing the sustainability of rural communities. Even at this late stage, will the Taoiseach call a halt to the closure of our post offices and the destruction of our post office network? It is not good enough for him to shrug his shoulders and state that this is a commercial decision when the social consequences for rural communities are so far-reaching.

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