Martin Ferris (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What is needed is an active policy change by the Government to try to secure the survival and viability of rural post offices as otherwise 600 post offices will close in the next number few years. That is the reality. It will happen in the constituency of the Minister of State and the constituency of every Deputy in the House. It would take very little to make them secure and viable such as delivering social welfare payments. In my county Tús, a public body, has been instructing people that they must open a bank account in order that money can be paid into them. That is wrong. They were receiving their money in the post office. Welfare payments, motor tax, driver licences, change of ownership of vehicles, driver and theory test payments, registration of electors, hospital charges, local authority parking fines and toll charges are just a few of the services that could be provided through post offices to make them viable. When we bring people into the local post office, it contributes to the introduction of other transactions. The Government needs to be active in promoting a policy to ensure the survival and viability of local rural post offices.

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