Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not wish to hear about IBRC, Bank of Ireland, Allied Irish Banks or any of those valueless banks for which we paid millions, and are still paying millions, through the universal social charge, in order that they could stay alive. Let us all talk about the real bank, which is the post office. I want the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to come to the House to explain about the new social welfare forms. I want them withdrawn. The Irish Postmasters Union said that all post offices will be under threat of closure if social protection transaction business is taken away. We really need to take this on board because savings and savings certificates in the post office are probably the most valuable savings people have in any bank in Ireland because the post office does not rob people and then come back and ask people to pay for the robbery. I request that the forms would be reissued and that the Minister would come to the House to confirm that is the case. Social welfare payments account for more than 30% of transactions and if they are removed, the core business is gone.While I acknowledge what the Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection, Deputy Kevin Humphreys, has said on the matter, we should be treating the post office network as a national asset by taking its social and community value into account. The Oireachtas should provide the powers required to keep our post offices alive and to extend its range of functions, which currently include banking and payment of motor tax, drivers licence fees, insurance and pensions.

The Irish people do not have great faith in the prospect of good politics or good banking. We are good politicians in this House, and this is the forum from which we can support our post offices, as the most valuable resource in every town, county and urban area in Ireland. We should be extending them and giving them more powers rather than shutting them down and capitulating to the banks. I urge Senators to support me in introducing a framework that would allow the post office network to remain independent and to grow under the Houses of the Oireachtas. I want to amend the Order of Business to debate this issue with the Minister.