Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wanted to raise one issue but I will very briefly support my colleague, Senator Gallagher, in calling for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to come to the House to discuss Bus Éireann. It provides an excellent service in the main but there are some difficulties.

Last August, An Post announced the names of 156 post offices which were to be closed in the Twenty-Six Counties over a period of months. It also announced an appeal mechanism and the criteria such post offices had to meet to appeal that decision. In spite of a detailed submission by Killeshandra Community Council, which clearly outlined the huge range of business activities in the town and the wide diversity in commerce and enterprise, its appeal was turned down. The council was informed of that in recent days. Like any rural community, there is a large cohort of older people. Unfortunately, in many instances, they do not have their own transport or access to technology. At a recent public meeting held in the town, which was attended by my colleagues, Councillors Sean Smith and John Paul Feeley, there was a determination in that community that its post office should remain open. It was doing excellent business and the local community was, and is, using it to a large extent. The community felt that its post office met the criteria for an appeal but unfortunately, as I said, it was turned down in recent days. In a recent Dáil debate my colleague, Deputy Brendan Smith, outlined clearly to the Minister that in assessing the need for a post office facility, An Post should factor in the population of the town and its hinterland. I believe that Killeshandra meets and met all of the necessary criteria. Unfortunately it was unsuccessful.

I appeal to the Leader to facilitate the new Minister to come to the House in order for us to outline to him our views, and to get his views, in respect of the appeals process because it is obviously not adhering to its own criteria. I would appreciate it if we could look to the future of our post offices and not the past, as is normally the response from Government representatives in both Houses. Unfortunately, the Leader meets those criteria. I would like to look to the future and, if there are criteria set aside for appeals and communities meet them, those communities should be successful, not unsuccessful. We want the Minister in here to discuss that process in detail.