Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)

Míle buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht a bheith anseo sa Seanad tráthnóna chun an t-ábhar fíorthábhachtach seo a phlé. I welcome the opportunity to discuss our post office network and how we can all support what is not just an important network for communications, business and the State, but a network that connects our communities right across the country, serving as a focal point of villages and towns in both urban and rural settings.

It is with great concern that we read yesterday of the news that more than 250 post offices have closed over the past ten years. These closures have undoubtedly affected communities around Ireland. Indeed, in my own area in Dublin South-Central, the closure of the Bluebell post office continues to be a significant issue in the lives of people living in the area. The closest post office is now in Inchicore, a bus ride away for all, which is adding not just an inconvenience but a cost to attending the local post office. Inchicore also does not have a single bank in the village, which means that the post office is the only place to do business and is, therefore, utterly oversubscribed, given how it now serves a greater area of the urban centre between Dublin 12 and Dublin 8.

The postmaster in Bluebell retired, a scenario that has been replicated in many of the 250 closures we read about yesterday. Closing off services simply because a postmaster reaches retirement age is not a sustainable business model and must be urgently addressed by An Post. We have all witnessed closures like these in our communities, and we know that it makes it incredibly difficult for people to access not just postal services, but also the State services administered by An Post. To tackle this issue and prevent further closures, we must make it not only viable but sustainable and an attractive opportunity for new postmasters to do this, and we must better support our network of post offices.

There have been several documented causes for post office closures, namely, funding, changes in core services and postmaster succession. The personnel shortfall was the main reason for the closure of the post office in Bluebell, that is, the lack of a successor willing to take on the role. I hope that during the course of this debate, we can consider these issues and the Minister of State may be able to provide some assurances to postmasters, An Post and our communities that the Government will deliver on its commitment to continue to provide the network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities.Our post office network faces a number of challenges, which were brought into focus at the recent hearing of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport. The most pressing of these was funding. The Irish Postmasters' Union outlined the stark reality that without additional funding, 40% of postmasters will be forced to close their post offices. Considering the worrying ongoing closure of these vital hubs in our towns and villages, we must invest in them, ensure their sustainability and acknowledge the unique operating challenges they face. The recent report from Grant Thornton commissioned by the Irish Postmasters' Union states that since 2020, operating costs have risen sharply during the cost-of-living crisis with inflation of 15%, which we are all too familiar with. We must recognise that post offices are in a unique position in that they cannot respond in the same way as other businesses to cost pressures due to contractual arrangements with An Post and that they are also precluded from accessing business supports available to other small enterprises due to these relationships.

The last Government supported our post office network with multi-annual funding. This has been essential in preventing even greater numbers of closures. However, the environment is still challenging and our post offices now need even more financial support to continue in operation. The good news is that 70% of postmasters say their post offices can remain viable with additional funding. The ask is well documented and simple. The multi-annual funding of €10 million per annum, which is due to expire at the end of this year, needs to increase to €15 million per annum, as Senator Joe Conway has said. Will the Minister of State commit to seeking this €15 million as part of the budget discussions?

Another way in which we can further support our post office network is by expanding the offering of State services through our network of post offices. We already rely on our post office network for the administration of public services and welfare payments. There is a commitment in the programme for Government to expand the range of welfare services provided through our post office network. What plans are there in the Department to expand this offering? Has work begun in collaboration with the Department of Social Protection and other Departments to expand the provision of services through our post office network? Our postmasters have already shown they can administer services on behalf of the State. The Irish Postmasters' Union expressed to the joint committee that postmasters are willing, able and eager to play an even bigger role in the delivery of Government services. The infrastructure is there. We should be utilising the valuable assets already in place in our community. A recent survey by the Irish Postmasters' Union found that 89% of people want more Government services delivered through our post office network. It is a stated commitment of the Government to deliver on this. Along with other Members of this House, I would greatly appreciate it if the Minister of State could give an outline of the work completed on this to date in his response.

I will touch on one other issue that I believe is essential to securing the future of our post office network: the issue of supporting our postmasters. I am sure the Minister of State is aware that many postmasters provide not just the official service they are contracted to provide but also an ad hocsocial support for many vulnerable people in our communities. I know postmasters will directly help customers by reading their letters, deciphering what bills need to be paid, what needs to be done and what needs attention. They help customers to fill out forms and then deliver them wherever they need to be delivered. Some of the postmasters' representatives in the Gallery will know what I am talking about because they do this every day. This is not in the job specification but this organic relationship between postmasters and their customers is very special and very important, particularly in rural areas. This is one of the many reasons we must address the remuneration of postmasters along with increasing multi-annual funding for the network.

We heard from the Irish Postmasters' Union president, Sean Martin, that postmasters are being paid cents for the services they administer on behalf of the State. He cited the example of a post office handling €2,000 in carer's payments and receiving a mere 65 cent for these transactions. If we are to support our post office network, we must ensure that postmasters are fairly paid for the work they do in handling, securing and administering payments on behalf of the State. The post office network is often the most accessible way for people to access State services. As we have heard from postmasters and from An Post, they want to play an even bigger role and provide more services. We must support them with greater funding and better pay for the work they do to ensure their viability and sustainability into the future to prevent further closures. At the recent committee meeting, the IPU president, Sean Martin, said that post offices:

can be the front door for all Government services. If that does not happen, that front door will close and post offices will close one by one, and very quickly next year if the funding does not materialise.

To refer to another point made by Senator Conway, it is important to note that while the move towards digitalisation is a very positive step, we have to ensure that the post office network continues to cater for people who will never move to digital services. We must be digitally inclusive and allow our postmasters the discretion to be so as well.

This is not just about subsidising struggling businesses; it is about investing in essential community infrastructure across our country. Our post office network has shown that it can offer a range of services to our communities and has kept up with the pace of technological change, expanding its offering and diversifying services. We cannot deny the cost pressures post offices are under. We must invest in the future of our post office network, as committed to in the programme for Government. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Táim ag súil lena fhreagra níos déanaí.