Dan Boyle (Green Party)

If Fine Gael wishes to be taken seriously as a potential party for government, it should have put forward a broader vision for the postal service, how it would use it to its maximum potential and how the service, which has served us well since the foundation of the State, can adjust to change and the new EU directive. Sadly, I have not heard this in the opening contributions or through the motion.

The Government's amendment is correct in calling for the debate to be placed in a wider and more positive context. The positive moves such as the arrangement with Fortis Bank and computerisation must be acknowledged. I accept there has been almost a bidding war about which locations should receive a computerised service. However, there should be a general political commitment on the overall computerisation of the post office network. All possible services should be offered locally in as many places as possible on the island of Ireland.

The motion refers specifically to the closure of 247 post offices in recent times, 50 of which were in County Cork.