Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)

The Minister of State's response is really disappointing. This is going to be fought by all public representatives across the board. It completely ignores people in rural Ireland and rural Irish towns. This is the wrong thing to do. The Government is copping out by saying that An Post is a separate commercial entity. It is being funded by the Government. There has to be an influence there to say that this goes against everything. There is a whole social dimension here that An Post and the Government seem to be ignoring. Rural postal services are not just about delivering letters and parcels; they are also about keeping people connected and supported. Our postal workers are at the very heart of our communities. Many elderly people and those living alone know the drivers by name and they often look out for each other. For some, that visit from the postman or postwoman might be the only human contact they have for the day. This represents yet another example of our vital services being stripped away from our rural communities. Locally, people rely on Barr na Trá and Ballyhaunis depots to collect urgent post, such as passports or examination papers from schools. That access will be lost if everything goes out to Ballina or Castlerea. It is not acceptable.

I am also calling on the postal workers' union to stand up against these moves. We need common sense to prevail. This plan is bad for workers, communities and rural Ireland. It makes no sense whatsoever to make postal workers undertake road trips in excess of 100 miles on bad and dangerous roads only then to come back to deliver the post. It is just bonkers. It is the most ridiculous idea that the Government has come up with yet. I just cannot accept that anyone would sit down and make this plan. The removal of yet another public service from Ballyhaunis, after two banks and a court house have been taken, is disrespectful to these areas. It makes no economic sense, or any sense on any level.

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