David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister can rubbish the Grant Thornton report if she so desires and is entitled to do so. I am merely reciting what was contained in it. It stated there was potential for 557 of the 1,150 post offices to close if the social welfare contract was removed from An Post. The figures in this regard may not be correct, but there is absolutely no doubt that if the contract were to be removed, post offices would come under huge pressure. The contract is vital for post offices because the service to which it relates is pivotal and attracts customers in the first instance. It also makes post offices central hubs in the communities in which they are located. That is what the Grant Thornton report states and the Irish Postmasters Union has made the same point. Its members have struggled to survive in a very difficult environment. Instead of creating even more difficulties, the Government should be developing a national strategy to protect the post office network and the jobs of the 3,000 people employed within it.

The Minister can see what we are trying to do with the amendments in the context of amending any section which replaces the term "An Post" with that of "payment service provider". An Post should continue to occupy the privileged position with which the Minister seems to have a problem. I await her response, but I assume, on foot of her interjections, that she is not of a mind to accept the amendments. I would have inferred this from her reply to the debate on Second Stage. She may have a job to do, but so do we. The nature of that job is to hold her and her Department to account. That is what we will seek to do in dealing with this issue. We will also seek to stand up for those who work in post offices throughout the State.