Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I join Deputy Cathal Crowe in thanking James O'Brien and his family for their service to the community of Broadford over 190 years. The reality is that many post offices are family businesses that are trusted and respected and provide extensive services to their communities. I wish Mr. O'Brien well on his retirement. I regret that as of now, there does not appear to be anybody willing to take on the post office and keep it operational. I understand that this is a critical issue for the people of Broadford and, similarly, for hundreds of post offices and communities across the country, particularly in rural areas.

We face a real challenge despite the really good work done in this area in terms of mediation. The work done by the Irish Postmasters Union and others in seeking solutions has been very progressive. The Covid crisis has worsened what was already a difficult situation. Footfall has declined by about 20% and there has been an acceleration in the decline in mail volumes, which was traditionally falling by about 7% per annum. That has accelerated to approximately 12%, I am told. There has been a commensurate increase in parcel delivery of approximately 100% but my understanding is that this does not benefit the post office. Some 80% of post office business is social welfare payments, bill pay, mail and State savings services. State savings have held up or risen slightly but the other three services have declined significantly in recent years despite all of the good work and efforts of postmasters, An Post and others.

We have a real challenge in this regard and we have to be honest and upfront about it. New financial services offer one potential revenue stream. An Post has launched its Green Hub initiative, for example, which offers an opportunity for trusted postmasters to offer financial advice and financing for green home projects, such as home energy retrofits, in the same way that they manage State savings.

None of this is easy. I cannot sugar the pill for the people of Broadford and tell them there is an easy and immediate solution. Nevertheless, we do need to find a solution and we can do so by putting all our efforts towards ensuring that as many Government services and financial services as possible are available through the post office network. That is our best chance.

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