Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten. The response may not be what the Senator wants to hear. I will read the written response and I have taken a lot of notes. I will come back to the Senator.

The Minister, Deputy Naughten, has responsibility for the postal sector, including the governance of An Post, to ensure that the company is fully compliant with the code of practice for the governance of State bodies and the governance functions included in the statutory framework underpinning An Post. Day-to-day operational matters, including decisions on the closure of post offices, are matters for the board and the management of the company and not ones in which the Minister, Deputy Naughten, has any role or statutory function. Therefore, there is no protocol in place between An Post and the Department governing such matters, which also includes the temporary closure of post offices.

The Minister, Deputy Naughten, has, however, made inquires with An Post regarding the mailer referred to by the Senator. I have been informed that An Post has advised that the post office in Carna, Galway, was temporarily closed on 3 May due to circumstances beyond its control. While An Post regrets any inconvenience to customers, it is understood that the company is working to restore services at Carna as soon as possible but has indicated that this may take some time. In the interim, the company has indicated that Department of Social Protection customer payments have been transferred to Kilkerrin Post Office. Other services are being provided by other nearby post offices.

I trust that Senator Ó Clochartaigh will appreciate that it would not be appropriate to comment further on any operational matters relating to a specific post office under the remit of An Post. Finally, as far as the operational activities of the company are concerned, I am assured that the board and management of An Post are constantly working to ensure that the services the company provides are developed and delivered to meet the needs of its customers.