Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed that neither of the Ministers from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment are here but I presume there is a good reason for that. This issue goes back to 14th of this month when it was announced that Kilcar post office was to close. Seventeen post offices closed last year and it was our understanding that no more would close in our county until such time as An Post announced that. Myself, Deputy Doherty and Doherty Pringle attended a meeting in Kilcar attended by approximately 300 people. At the end of the meeting we were mandated to write to the public affairs manager of An Post. We copied that to the Minister. We met the Minister of State, Deputy Canney. We also copied that communication to the chief executive. The only acknowledgement we got was from the public affairs manager. In fact, it was not an acknowledgement but rather a full reply by way of email.

We were mandated to make the approach to request that a period of six months be given to allow for the locals, various organisations and the public representatives to make a case to the appeals panel. Our only request was that Kilcar would be afforded the same opportunity as that given to the other 157 post offices. A very cold reply came back stating, "Of course they can but we are closing and you can submit your appeal then". That is not the way other post offices were dealt with. We believe there must be consistency in that regard. We are making the case to the Minister of State, who is here representing the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, that at the 11th hour this decision would be reversed, allowed to be extended to the end of the year to allow Kilcar make an appeal, which every one of the others was allowed to do. They are prepared to make a comprehensive appeal but giving two weeks is tantamount to saying there will be no appeal.

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