James Bannon (Fine Gael)

Post offices are the heartbeat of many rural and urban communities. For many people in rural areas, not only do they provide important services, they also form part of the social fabric. There have been many incidents in which post office personnel have been attacked. I refer, for example, to the incident in Kilkenny last week when a young man lost his life pursuing an individual who had raided his post office. There are serious concerns among post office staff with regard to the security of their families and themselves.

The Government and An Post have changed the goalposts. Post office staff are obliged to go to banks to collect large sums of money and are not provided with security when travelling back to their post offices. What action does the Government intend to take in respect of these people's concerns? Such action is needed because, as Senator Finucane indicated, the State is crime-ridden.

I agree with Senator Finucane in that people are living in fear as Christmas approaches. Ireland is one of the most crime-ridden countries in the EU.