Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This issue relates to the post office network. I have been endeavouring to raise it in the House since November. I am delighted to have the opportunity to do so today. I understand and appreciate that the matter is outside of the brief of the Minister of State but I hope that he will have some news regarding the Government's commitment to the post office network.

Last August, An Post announced that 159 post offices were to close. By and large, under the agreement reached between An Post and the Irish Postmasters Union, many post offices in rural areas have been closed. Engagement by An Post management with community organisations and public representatives has been dismal, disgraceful and completely unsatisfactory. Local concerns across the country have not been heard. Community groups and local residents have expressed their concerns but they have not been listened to by An Post.

The Government is the only shareholder of An Post. Ultimately, it could direct the company to take an alternative course of action but, regrettably, this has not happened. The Government is culpable when it comes to the closure of post offices. I accept that some post offices may not be economically viable but the criteria being applied by An Post leave a lot to be desired, including, for example, those relating to the 15 km rule and population centres of 500. An Post is being selective in its examination of the criteria. I will provide an example. In the context of the post office in Dunfanaghy, County Donegal, which closed on 31 January last, An Post used the figure relating to the settlement population rather than that relating to the electoral area. An Post is being disingenuous. People in most rural areas live in the hinterlands, not the towns. In this case, the hinterland population comes within the electoral division of 1,645 yet An Post deems it does not meet the criteria of a minimum of 500 people. There is selective use of the criteria on the part of An Post. Its procedure has been disingenuous. I made contact with the CEO and management of An Post and the responses I received were, to say the least, flippant. I received responses outlining that a review has taken place and An Post cannot provide any concrete information under that review process. Meanwhile, the post office has closed and the opportunity to have it reopened has passed.

I will provide another example regarding the post office in Dunfanaghy. The former postmistress, Ms Bríd Gallagher, wrote to Mr. Gerry Whelan of An Post before she retired on 31 January offering a stop-gap solution whereby she would continue in her position and keep the post office open until the company negotiated with the local community and local businesses to find an alternative solution. She received no response, which is disgraceful. It is deplorable that An Post did not respond. This is a town with a population approaching 2,000. People in this rural area are being asked to make a 30-minute round journey in order to post letters. While many people use email, the vast majority of older people in rural areas where there is no broadband cannot avail of online services and are obliged to depend on the post office network. The decision to close rural post offices is wrong. The business model and decision-making processes of An Post are wrong in this instance. I am very disappointed with the lack of input on the part of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment on behalf of the people who, after all, are shareholders in this company.

I am not expecting that the Minister of State will have any answers for me but I hope that there will be some reflection by the Government on this issue. If the approach being taken continues in respect of other State services, we will be on a road to nowhere. Rural Ireland is losing out. The Minister of State, who comes from a rural area, will appreciate that.