Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

I ask the Leader of the House to raise the following issues, as appropriate. In view of the proposed escalation of the postmasters union strike and the reduction of further services, the impact of which has already been felt in rural areas, will she ask the appropriate Minister to come into the House to give an overview of what is happening in An Post? It is creating an unnecessary divide between postmen and postmasters.

Most Members have been elected by local authority representatives. While much of the debate is focused on the first-time buyer's grant, which the House debated yesterday, there are many elements of the Estimate which will impact on councils. I would like the Minister for the Environment and Local Government – no one else – to come and give us his analysis of the drastic reductions in many aspects of the Estimate. These reductions will create many problems for councils in the process of preparing estimates in the near future.