Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá céad fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Taim buíoch gur tháinig sí isteach. I thank the Minister of State for coming into the House to take this matter. I appreciate that it is not her area of responsibility, but it is an important question for those of us who are living in rural areas. I hope I will not receive the standard answer to the effect that this is within the remit of An Post and that the Minister has nothing to do with it.

The question is about the protocols agreed between An Post and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment for the temporary closure of post offices on foot of audit findings. The post office in Carnagh, County Galway, has been closed for a number of weeks. We understand an auditor was sent to it. A number of other auditors appeared on the scene the following day and the post office was closed down. People living in the local community were not given an explanation for what had happened. We are being told it is a contractual issue between the postmistress and An Post, which I can appreciate and it is not an issue.

On Monday evening a very large public meeting was held to discuss the issue. We are hearing in the locality that what An Post originally thought was the problem had been exaggerated.It subsequently found out that the issue was not half as serious as it thought, but the post office has remained closed and the audit procedure is ongoing.

I have worked in a partnership company which received funding from Pobal. Anybody who has worked with a company or organisation in receipt of State funding knows that an audit is a regular part of the day-to-day work. One expects audits once every couple of years. When an auditor is coming, organisations get all of the relevant paperwork together. However, inevitably auditors are there to outline what needs to be improved and organisations always receive audit reports that state something is wrong and improvements need to be made.

The question then is how serious are the issues that are being raised. If an audit shows gross negligence or anything like that, one would imagine that an organisation would be closed down. I do not believe that has been proven in this case, but I remain open to clarification. Where there is something like gross negligence, one can imagine a service being closed down. The general procedure is that work goes on while the audit procedure is taking place and the issues that are raised are rectified.

This is an issue because the process has closed down a post office in a rural area and people now have to make a 20 mile round trip to a neighbouring post office. Many of those affected by the closure are elderly and do not have transport. There is no public transport to the other service. People have been severely discommoded. The issue involves rural living and the vital role played by the post office service. That is why I want to know the protocol that has been laid down between the Minister and An Post.

Does An Post have to notify the Department that it is going to close a post office? When an audit is carried out, are different levels of misdemeanours, if we can call them, that identified? If a post office goes over a certain threshold, is it then deemed appropriate to close it? Are those criteria laid down? Can we see them? Can the Minister see a role for himself in this and can he engage with An Post on this issue?

We have no indication from An Post when the post office will reopen. I am happy to say that it has indicated it does not intend to close the post office in the long term, but people are quite sceptical because we have heard the same about other services. Post offices in other areas have closed. We want the issue to be rectified, the audit is completed, the issues addressed and the post office service reinstated as quickly as possible. I look forward to the response from the Minister of State.