Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Regional Group for putting forward this motion, which we fully support. The Post office network is facing collapse due to Government detachment. Our Rural Independent Group has seen a depressingly familiar fight against the Government’s failure to protect rural post offices. The serious warnings by the IPU about the inevitable collapse of the network and up to 200 branch closures are being ignored by the Government, despite it controlling the entire issued share capital of An Post. Tangible State intervention is now needed to combat the potential raft of further post office closures. From 1 July 2021, 875 postmaster operated offices face a major challenge due to the reduction of approximately 20% in State payments. Instead of the Government trying to channel new State services to the post office network, as promised in 2018 and as sought by the IPU, it is cutting existing services. Therefore, the demise of the network lies firmly at the door of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Green Party Government.

In 2016, my colleagues and I in the Rural Independent Group tabled a motion calling on the Government to commit to a strategic five-year holding plan for the post office network, while also working on new modernisation roadmap to support the roll-out of new services and ensure financial viability. At the time, we warned that Government inaction would result in the complete demise of the network. Now, five years on, the network is facing even more significant challenges, due to the complete failure of this and the previous Administration to do anything meaningful to combat the demise. Such gross incompetence by the Government is letting everyone down. The main casualty will be the rural and regionally-based postmasters. Rural communities across the country will again be hit hard by this negligence. We need direct Government intervention immediately. The time for pondering and self-observation is long and truly over. Direct financial intervention is needed, together with a longer-term economic strategy, to ensure survival. I know that in rural post offices down in west Cork, letters have been sent to their local shop to try and take some business for them. This is a scandal and it needs to be stopped.

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