Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as a bheith anseo inniu. I am delighted we are discussing this issues and ongoing concern, namely, the future of the post office network and the critical role it plays in the life of rural Ireland, particularly in rural regions such as my own in Cork North-West. In communities across the country and especially in rural parishes, the local post office serves many functions. For many older citizens it provides a trusted face in an increasingly online and depersonalised world. As has been referenced by my colleagues, the recently published 2025 report by Grant Thornton sets out what many of us have known: without urgent and sustained intervention, the viability of our post office network, especially in rural Ireland, is in jeopardy.

These are not just statistics. These are villages and townlands in mid-Cork and all around the country where the closure of a post office means rural isolation, economic decline and the further erosion of community life. Some of the post offices in my own locality, for example, Rylane, Coachford , Donoughmore, Ballinagree, serve populations spread over wide areas with poor public transport and a high proportion of older residents. For many in these communities, the post office is the only place they can collect their pension or pay a bill. When these post offices are under threat, so too is the fabric of our rural life.

The Grant Thornton report also highlights how post offices are uniquely placed to support Government objectives, from promoting financial inclusion to delivering public services where the State has little other presence. We can allocate extra functions to our post offices and our post offices want to do more. Yet, these same post offices are being asked to operate without a sustainable funding model. What is needed is a strategic shift and recognition that our post office network is not a commercial luxury but a public utility deserving of long-term increased State support. We must implement the report's recommendations for a multi-annual public service obligation to guarantee core funding, especially for rural and vulnerable areas. It is estimated this will cost €15 million a year, which I believe is a relatively small amount when looking at all the benefits our post offices provide. We need to expand the range of public services available through the network from motor tax renewal to digital ID verifications to increase footfall and relevance. We need to explore a partnership model with local authorities, community groups and credit unions to deepen the social and economic roles of a post office.

If we are serious about balanced regional development, climate resilience and protecting older citizens and sustaining rural Ireland, we need to act now. We cannot wait until closures have happened and damage is irreversible. The cost of supporting our post office network is small compared with the cost of losing what it provides. I urge the Minister of State to take heed of the Grant Thornton report and its findings and to respond with a commitment.