Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

We will fully support this motion but I note that it is not the first motion of its kind that we have supported. This issue came up again and again in the term of the previous Dáil but nothing seems to have changed. I thank the Deputies who moved the motion and congratulate the postmasters. They have campaigned relentlessly on this issue. They have given a lot of thought and effort to trying to convince the political establishment that keeping post offices open by subsidising them is the right thing to do.

To refer to what the postmasters' submission to us actually sought, one recommendation is for An Post to provide the sole bank account for social welfare payments. It seems eminently sensible that State money should go back into a State-subsidised entity. There is a lot to be discussed in regard to An Post and banking. We must have an entirely separate discussion of the German or Swiss community banking model that we have discussed in the past. Again, that is eminently sensible. The postmasters have called for investment to facilitate banking through An Post and for all Government Departments to channel their business through the post office. They have also called for an overall strategy for the sustainability of the post office network. I thank the postmasters for their struggle and for keeping the pressure on all of us to take this issue very seriously.

I am sure it has not gone unnoticed that Covid-19 has had as much of an impact on this business as on any other. An Post's business fell by 30% during the period of the pandemic, but it should be noted that it was one of the entities that stayed open through the last lockdown. Without that sort of social connection, we would be a much poorer society.

We support the motion and we also support whatever degree of subsidy is needed to maintain and expand the network. This is partly because of its importance to rural life and community and also because it stayed open through the Covid-19 pandemic. However, I would also like to make a few points about its importance to urban life. It is not just in villages and towns throughout the country that An Post plays an important role. Postmasters have also put their shoulder to the wheel and campaigned to keep services open in villages and communities like Rialto, Ballyfermot and Chapelizod, to name just a few in my constituency. They have a genuine social connection to the community. Seeing this as a State service rather than something to be played around with for the sake of profit is crucial to maintaining the social fabric. It is true that the era of electronic media has impacted on the volume of postal deliveries. However, these developments are not what is killing our post office network.

I think we can agree on the important role played by the postal network in rural communities and in urban working-class communities. It plays a vital social role and represents a link to the wider community that should be safeguarded and extended. Fianna Fáil is now in power. When that party sat on this side of the House it vociferously and passionately supported many motions to keep the post office network open, create a community banking system, etc.

Instead, we are seeing the painful decline of the post office network. This is not just down to demographics or the inevitable sign of modernity; rural post offices are closing as a result of a political decision.

The inability and unwillingness of the Government to give the kind of direct subsidies and support that are required cannot be explained by ignorance of, disinterest in or a disconnect from with what is going on. The reason for the post office closures is neoliberalism and the slavish devotion of many of the parties in this House to the rules and strictures of that economic model. This is the tendering of Government contracts so that non-union, low-paid and precarious employment by firms can undercut what post office networks can achieve.

This is happening across all services and sectors. We have seen it with health, education and transport. Unless something has a tangible or monetary value and can create profit, the neoliberal model deems it useless. If the system does not have the ability to turn a profit, the idea is that it must be commodified and privatised. That is the philosophy at the heart of the decline in our post office network. This means there is a fight with whoever is in power to keep the social fabric that matters to rural and urban communities if the Government believes in that economic model.

The other matter relates to not being able to expand the post office network as a rural or urban community banking structure. This is no accident and it was not even a decision of this House, in many ways, as it is a reflection of the power and dominance of the pillar banks. They have effectively killed a proposal to set up an alternative community banking system because they see it as a potential rival to their massive profits.

We support both the motion and the postmasters in their campaign. We believe the economic model at the heart of driving this once again puts the interests of profit before the interests of people and communities.

See this speech in context