Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

As I indicated earlier to the Deputy, and I will repeat again, decisions in relation to post offices and operational matters are a matter for An Post and not a matter in which the Minister has any statutory function. The Deputy will appreciate the Minister cannot intervene in such matters which we, as the Oireachtas, have given An Post the statutory responsibility to manage. An Post has an independent board. It has a clear mandate. I trust, therefore, that the Deputy understands that it would be inappropriate for me or the Minister to comment further on operational matters relating to proposals for specific post and delivery offices.

Obviously, An Post plays an important role in serving the needs of business and domestic customers and communities. This is to the forefront of An Post's mandate. The board of management is doing all it can to maintain the company's sustainability and relevance to customers into the future. The Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, and the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, as well as their officials and Cabinet colleagues, are working to support the company to that end. The Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and a post office network that is a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland.

The programme for Government states that the Government will continue to provide the nationwide network of post offices with the funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities. The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport is working to deliver on this and an enhanced amount of more than €15 million per annum is to be allocated for supporting the network, subject to Government approval.

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