Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As is often the case,. I find myself in agreement with my colleague and friend, Senator Ó Clochartaigh, on this issue. It was appalling to watch the television images from Catalonia. These people were going to vote. Let the Spanish Government make the case, as it will, that it was not a legal exercise but these people were going out and doing something that was not causing any trouble. There was no violence. The vast majority of the people are very proud of their region. The behaviour of the Spanish police was appalling and is an international crime. I do not say this lightly but one could not be anything but horrified to watch what we saw on our television screens.

I shall now turn to the issue of rural post-offices. There have not been any closed in recent times, but there needs to be a recalibration of the role of the post office. The post office really needs to become a one-stop shop for all official State transactions in towns and villages throughout the country.In the suburban areas of cities and large towns, where there are no connectivity issues and buses are available, it is very hard to make a case for retaining those types of post offices. Certainly there is a very strong case to be made for retaining post offices in towns and villages that are otherwise isolated, where there is no Bus Éireann service every 20 minutes or half an hour and where the nearest post office is inaccessible for lots of people. However, An Post needs to step up to the plate as well. As somebody from a business background, I am sure the Leas-Chathaoirleach will agree with me. There needs to be a total rethink. What we are really talking about is a partnership between the local authorities, the State and An Post. Why can I not go into the post office and tax my car? Why can people not go into the post office to pay things like fines that An Garda Síochána issues? Until such time as there is a proper working group set up with real powers to put in train a changed management culture, ethos and programme at An Post, we are going to be here next year and in future years talking about the threat to rural post offices.