John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and for taking this debate at short notice. Several Senators requested a debate on this matter only last week. It is good for Members to outline their views and air their concerns, as well as providing reliable and accurate information on this issue. There is no evidence to suggest the Department of Social Protection, much less the Government, is attempting to undermine the post office network. On the contrary, it could be argued it is shoring it up. I agree with Senators Heffernan, Mooney and Naughton that one cannot exaggerate the vital and strategic importance of the post office to its community. It is a hub of social and economic activity, as well as being vital to the sustainability of rural communities and smaller towns.

By the same token, however, there have been many misconceptions and misrepresentations as well as much mischief around this debate. No one values the importance of the post office network on the ground as much as I do. My local post office in Timahoe, County Laois, closed two years ago. County Laois has also lost a post office in Ballacolla. Of the 24 post offices closed during the lifetime of this Government, two have been in County Laois. Putting it in context, however, almost 200 post offices were closed during the lifetime of the previous Government.

This should not be a question of keeping score, however. I got involved in trying to keep these post offices open. I used to sign on for my social protection payments at my local post office. As it was so close, I could cycle down to it and enjoyed having a chat with the postmaster, Mr. Arthur Kerr. His family gave a dedicated service, six days a weeks over the years, an extraordinary commitment. The reason the post office closed was because he was retiring. After giving ample notice, however, no one else in the entire area was willing to take up the function of postmaster and run the post office because it is an arduous commitment, particularly with modern lifestyles, family commitments and changes in career attitudes. While everyone was clamouring to keep it open, there was not the sufficient number of people using the service or people willing to operate it. This is part of the challenge in keeping a post office network running.

Attempts to solve the problem have been flawed. There has been an overreaction to the mailshot from the Department with some mischief around it. It caused concern because it affected pensions. When elderly people get a letter from the State, alarm bells tend to ring. The letter was well-intended, not an attempt to undermine the post office service. However, one can see how it could have caused unnecessary alarm.

The difficulties for post offices cannot be solved in isolation. I welcome the involvement of the Bobby Kerr review group. There is no better man to come up with suggestions to make the post office network more attractive, feasible and sustainable. Senator Naughton hit the nail on the head when she spoke about making the post office more vital, relevant and potent as a service provider. We need the co-operation and the involvement of the Department of Finance to expedite the proposal to scale up the banking capacity and financial services rendered by the post office network. We cannot continue to rely on social protection payments to sustain the post office network. The Minister of State mentioned this himself. The advantage and benefits of the economic recovery are not necessarily good news for one aspect of the post office's services. The fewer people who will require social welfare payments, the less turnover for the post office network. While I wish this will continue for a long time, it means less business for the network.

The Department of Finance must become involved with the Departments of Social Protection and Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to come forward with a coherent collective response. One cannot strip out the post office issue without taking account of rural schools, transport and bus connectivity, GP services and rural broadband. All these services make it possible to ensure rural services and facilities are attractive and can compete on a level that will retain people in the community and maintain a critical mass of population in rural areas. This in turn will allow the post office to have a vibrant, vigorous and prosperous future.