Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for taking this Topical Issue this evening. Absolutely no disrespect to him but I had hoped the relevant Minister, Deputy Patrick O’Donovan, would be here to answer. My aim is to bring to the Minister’s attention the unworkable proposals being put forward by An Post in Ballyhaunis and Erris, County Mayo. Neither the proposal to move the sorting depot from Barnatra in Erris to Ballina nor the proposal to move the Ballyhaunis sorting depot out of the county, to Castlerea, County Roscommon, makes economic, social or environmental sense. All of my colleagues, and indeed all of the Minister of State’s Oireachtas colleagues from Mayo, are united in rejecting these proposals.

Let us take the case of Erris. An Post’s proposals would mean postal workers serving the Erris area would have to collect mail from the newly opened Ballina depot. This change would mean the 13 postal workers who deliver across the Erris region, an area the size of County Louth, would have to undertake a two-hour, 100-mile-plus round trip each day to collect the day’s post before even starting their delivery. The Erris postal delivery area is one of the largest and most rural in the country and includes many isolated and coastal communities. The decision would have wide-ranging implications for workers, locals, community life, road safety and climate emissions.

I met workers from Barnatra and spoke to some of those impacted in Ballyhaunis. The proposals from An Post are completely unworkable, unsafe and socially damaging. It makes absolutely no sense to ask postal workers to drive more than 100 miles every day just to collect the mail before they even begin their deliveries. That is at least a two-hour round trip. We simply cannot have 13 vans travelling from Erris to Ballina and back again daily. It is just not feasible. It is bad for the environment and creates unnecessary risks for workers on an already busy and neglected road.

The Ballyhaunis delivery service unit currently employs 13 local staff, most of whom live in the community. The proposal to relocate this service would not only cause significant disruption for these employees but also have a detrimental impact on the local economy and the very fabric of the town. Should the relocation proceed, staff would be required to travel 27 km each way to Castlerea, resulting in over ten additional vehicles commuting daily. This would significantly increase carbon emissions, directly contradicting both An Post’s and the national climate action plan’s commitments. Moreover, any electric vehicles based in Castlerea would still have to return to Ballyhaunis to deliver post, adding unnecessary mileage and increasing energy use and operational inefficiency.

Beyond the environmental concerns, this decision could lead to a loss of an early and efficient postal service for Ballyhaunis businesses, many of which rely on timely deliveries to operate effectively. The knock-on effects would be felt right across the local economy from restaurants and cafés to service stations and shops, all of which depend on daily trade generated by local employment.

The Ballyhaunis and Erris chambers of commerce are absolutely against these moves. They make no sense whatsoever, economically or socially. The Ballyhaunis delivery service unit is a purpose-built facility, and relocating it would send a deeply discouraging message to rural towns already struggling to retain essential services. Ballyhaunis has already lost two banks and a courthouse, contributing to the erosion of local business and community activity.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the opportunity to outline the position on this matter today on behalf of the relevant Minister, Deputy O’Donovan. An Post is a commercial State company with a mandate to act commercially and, as such, day-to-day operational matters, including decisions in relation to the size, distribution and future of the network, are matters for the board and the management of the company and not ones in which the Minister and Minister of State in the relevant Department, namely, Deputies O’Donovan and McConalogue, have a statutory function. However, the Ministers and Government are very aware of the impact that decisions relating to changes in An Post operations can have on communities and individuals in both rural and urban areas.

An Post has advised that the suggested move of An Post delivery operations from Barnatra delivery office – not a post office – to Ballina in quarter 2 of next year is currently under consideration. An Post notes it should be stressed that the move of the delivery office in Barnatra is still being considered locally and no formal decision on the move has been made at this stage. As noted, this is a matter for the company and as no decision has been made, it would be inappropriate for the Government, as a shareholder, to comment on or prejudice decisions that are for the board and management of An Post to consider.

An Post states it is worth noting that its mail delivery facility in Ballina, which was recently visited by the Minister, represents an investment in local infrastructure and planning for the future of just over €2 million. This is a significant investment in the area and is in line with the national transformation plan the company agreed with the Communications Workers’ Union.

An Post advises that it can confirm outline plans to amalgamate its mail operations in Ballyhaunis and Castlerea as part of An Post’s ongoing investment in and planning for the future of the mail infrastructure in the region. An Post further advises that, in all, 47 staff – 12 from Ballyhaunis and 35 from Castlerea – will jointly work from An Post’s current delivery office in the Castlerea business park. An Post states it is likely that the staff complement at the newly unified base will increase as a result of the merger. An Post advises that the move is likely to take place in the second quarter of 2026. An Post notes all postal staff begin and end their working day in Castlerea while conducting their local deliveries throughout as normal. Additionally, An Post states the site is also the base for 20 of An Post's rapidly growing electric vehicle fleet, part of the largest EV fleet in the country, and the site has been fitted out for further EV post vans to be pressed into service throughout the north west.

An Post also advises that the cases of both Barnatra and Ballyhaunis represent an opportunity to plan for and organise this important piece of local infrastructure to reflect the changing nature of its business, including the huge growth in parcel numbers and the rise in e-commerce and home shopping. An Post notes both potential moves are part of a national transformation plan agreed with the Communications Workers Union.

The Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. The programme for Government states the Government will continue to provide the nationwide network of post offices with 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 €15 million per annum is to be allocated for supporting the network subject to all legal requirements being satisfied.

A sum of €10 million per annum is currently being provided over a three-year fixed term, from 2023 to 2025, to An Post. An Post then disburses this funding across the post office network, with all contractor post offices benefiting from Government funding with the objective of securing the stability of the network.

An Post then disburses this funding across the post office network, with all contractor post offices benefitting from the Government funding with the objective of securing the stability of the network. The funding is being paid monthly for each 12-month period. To date, over €25 million has been claimed by An Post for the network. The current funding provides time and space for An Post to accelerate the transformation and commercialisation of the network to ensure relevant, viable network delivery.

An Post has over the last number of years been transforming its business by delivering new products and formats in the way it operates. This includes, among other things, diversifying and growing the financial services products it provides for individuals and SMEs. An Post is also providing agency banking services.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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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.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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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.