Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, and thank him for attending.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Members for the invitation to speak on such an important topic. I welcome the postmasters’ representatives to the Visitors Gallery.

As we know, the post office and postal network play an integral role in the economic life of our country and in facilitating delivery from SMEs and other businesses to consumers. However, I also recognise that post offices have an important social role, providing invaluable support for some of the most vulnerable in our society through the provision of social welfare payments, free postage to care homes and many other valuable services. The Department and the Government also recognise there are challenges regarding the network. Uncertainty regarding global trade is one of the many challenges facing the post office network, given that the network facilitates trade, and I am aware that postmasters are likely to be feeling the effects of this uncertainty. The network is undoubtedly also impacted by the continuing decline in mail volumes and the growth of digitalisation. It is not only nationally, but internationally, that mail and post office businesses are experiencing long-term structural challenges. Additionally, previous issues relating to the cost of living, in particular the effect of inflation and higher energy costs, have been felt by many small and medium enterprises, including the postmasters, and global events continue to cause challenges in this regard.

The Government is committed to supporting Ireland's post office network. As part of this commitment, the Government is currently providing An Post with €10 million in funding per annum over a three-year fixed term from 2023 to 2025. An Post disburses this funding across the post office network, with all contractor post offices benefiting from the Government funding, with the objective of securing the stability of the network. Over €25 million has been claimed for the network by An Post for the period from the start of 2023 until May last.

In addition, the current programme for Government recognises the need to support Ireland's post office network. Under the programme, the Government will continue to provide the nationwide network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities. I am working with Government colleagues to secure future funding in line with this commitment and, in that regard, I await the outcome of the national development plan and budgetary processes. Pending the outcome of those processes, my officials will address the next steps in facilitating funding, namely, ensuring proper consideration of state aid provisions and ensuring an adequate legal basis for the payment of the funding.

We should be aware that the Government support does not mean that all post offices will stay open, but it is our objective to make sure that, from a Government point of view, we do everything possible to maintain the footprint of post offices throughout the country. The programme for Government recognises this and commits to the Government partnering with An Post and local communities to identify and preserve heritage post office buildings that are no longer in operation. We have a protocol in place, working in the first instance with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, to discuss possible options for buildings to which post offices may have been relocated, which we have seen instances of across the country recently.

Equally, it is important to remember that this support aims to protect and nurture a sustainable and commercially viable post office network. It also aims to ensure access to important services across the post office network for citizens. Any support must, therefore, be utilised to allow time and space to enable new commercial initiatives and services to be developed. An Post fully understands the Government position, and a sustainable, viable and customer-focused post office network is a key strategic priority for the company. An Post has statutory responsibility for the post office network and, accordingly, it must actively explore opportunities to develop new or enhanced product lines for it. We want to have a sustainable post office network that is available to all of our citizens, both urban and rural, in the medium and long terms.

The network is a core strength of An Post and the continued development of the network and its services is a vital component of its sustainability. Part of the strength of the post office brand, and one of its selling points, is that it reaches into all parts of our country. Equally, we must recognise that post offices are commercial entities and, as with any business, they need to continue to develop relevant commercial strategies to attract customers, drive footfall and generate growth. Supported by the Government, An Post must ensure its commercial viability and the continued fulfilment of its mandate to provide a mail delivery service and ensure a viable post office network.

There can sometimes be a focus on the provision of particular services across the network or supports being put in place, but no one measure in isolation is going to provide the long-term sustainability of the network.All stakeholders will need to continue to work together. The public must also be encouraged to use the services available through the post office network to support their local post office and help ensure its future. Postmasters have a crucial role in the future of the network. I recognise and thank all postmasters and postal workers for their hard work, dedication, input and co-operation to date, and for their role in enabling the ongoing transformation of the network. Their support is needed as An Post seeks to win new business or bolster existing business and to explore opportunities to develop new or enhanced product lines.

I welcome again the opportunity to engage with Seanadoirí today and to continue the work I am determined to lead out on, working and facilitating discussions between all parties, including An Post, postmasters and the Government, to ensure the post office network maintains a special role in our society. This is also the case to ensure we bring a conclusion, in as timely as fashion as possible, to the renewal of the three-year commitment, which will run out at the end of this year. We all recognise the importance of maintaining it and I commit to ensuring it is delivered. I look forward to working with all Senators in pushing it through and getting a good outcome in the budgetary process to make sure we continue to see strong post offices in every parish in the country. Go raibh míle maith agaibh. I look forward to the debate.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Our next speakers are Senators Comyn and Fitzpatrick of Fianna Fáil who are sharing time.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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I speak in support of this matter, which goes far beyond simple logistics or commercial viability. I speak of our post office network, a cornerstone of Irish community life, and the urgent need to ensure its survival and sustainability. The post office is not just a facility. It goes even beyond a public service. It is a social connector and, in many parts of rural and regional Ireland, a vital lifeline. Whether it is a pension collection, a child benefit payment, the BillPay service, banking or simply a familiar face for someone who may not otherwise speak to anybody else on the day in question, the post office does it all. Think of how it almost became another emergency service during Covid. I used to look forward so much to my conversations across the garden gate when my post was delivered in Drogheda.

Post office services are very much at risk. Almost 900 of the independent postmasters who operate the vast majority of our post offices are telling us loud and clear they cannot continue without immediate support. Rising costs, reduced footfall and a rapid shift towards digital services have left many on the brink. This is not speculation; it is reality. Some post offices have already closed and others operate at a loss but continue due to the postmasters' deep commitment to their communities. The figures are stark. Of 888 independently run post offices nationwide, more than 250 have closed in the past ten years. When costs are removed, 108 postmasters earn less than the minimum wage.

I have just met the Irish Postmasters' Union, which is calling for €15 million in annual funding to maintain the network. This would not be a handout but a strategic investment in national infrastructure. As a Government party, Fianna Fáil must listen carefully and respond constructively. Let us be clear that this is not about propping up a failing business model. It is about enabling transformation. It is about recognising that if a post office closes in a rural village, or even in an urban setting with high levels of deprivation, it is not easily replaced. No amount of broadband roll-out or bank ATMs can replicate the human and community value these post offices provide. Moreover, our postmasters do not resist change, but embrace it. Many post offices now offer financial services, digital Government transactions and even local enterprise supports. With adequate resources they can evolve into expanded community hubs and part of our wider vision for balanced regional development, digital inclusion and rural regeneration. Without interim financial support, they simply will not get there.

How much is needed to halt the decline? We have heard the figure is €15 million. This is a modest sum in the grand scheme of things but one with an enormous social return. Compare it to the cost of losing these services. There would be increased pressure on welfare offices, the loss of community connection and a hollowing out of rural and small-town Ireland. That price is far higher. As a Government, we have a duty not only to respond to crises but to act with foresight. Supporting the post office network is aligned with our programme for Government commitments on rural Ireland, digital equity and sustaining public services. I add my voice to those urging the Cabinet to act decisively and work with An Post and the Irish Postmasters' Union to deliver the €15 million needed. We can and must secure the future of our post office network. Let us not look back with regret in a few years, wondering how we let it slip away. It will be far too late then. Instead, let us ensure it continues to serve our people as it always has, reliably, locally and with heart.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I welcome and thank the Irish Postmasters' Union and the postmasters. Some postmasters are in the House this evening but many more are in their post offices. They are in more than 850 communities throughout the country. I know they are very important in Donegal and they are just as important in Dublin.

The post office is the trusted face of the State in our communities. I acknowledge and very much welcome the Minister of State reaffirming the Government's commitment today to supporting a sustainable future for our post office network. It is essential. The postmasters have acknowledged how important State intervention and Government support was to ensure the post office network survived over the past three years. We ask him, on behalf of the postmasters and, more importantly and with no disrespect to the postmasters, on behalf of their customers and our communities, to go back to the Government and the Ministers for Finance and public expenditure and re-emphasise to them and remind them of why the Government made the commitment. We must remind them the €30 million was well spent and that post offices have evolved and extended their services, while all the time retaining the human element and the social value they bring to our communities.

An Post is a resilient, innovative organisation, one that creates local employment and serves communities locally. It connects the local with the global. It is unique and has been a constant presence in our society since the 1700s. The Government has to ensure post offices continue into the future, that they are sustained and that their network remains trusted and available to future generations.

I wish the Minister well with his work but I want to stress the urgency of this. Postmasters are employers. They have responsibilities to their employees. They live with this responsibility 24-7. They need to know how they will be able to plan for the next three years. They need to be able to inform their staff, employees and communities how it will work. I wish the Minister well. He has our support but I cannot overemphasise the importance of delivering on this important issue for all of our communities.

Joe Conway (Independent)
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Lonraím mo thacaíocht ar na hoifigigh phoist agus ar an dea-sheirbhís a thugann siad lá i ndiaidh lae ar fud na tíre ó Chionn Mhálanna go Dún Mór Thoir i gContae Phort Láirge agus gach áit eatarthu.

Responsibility lies with all of us in Seanad Éireann and Dáil Éireann to help shape an Ireland where opportunity, investment and quality of life are shared fairly across all villages, towns and cities. This Government is committed to balanced regional development and supporting an Ireland where all regions and communities, both rural and urban, have equal opportunities to thrive.

Let us ponder the words "both rural and urban, have equal opportunities to thrive". They are not mine, of course, but a verbatim quote from the address given by the Minister for rural and community development in this House little more than three weeks ago. We were having a robust debate on balanced regional development at the time. A goodly number of Senators of all shades outlined their visions of what balanced regional development meant to them. The one common thread in practically all of the contributions from all sides of the House was the critical need to maintain communities in rural Ireland. Caithfear bánú na tuaithe a sheachaint.I will not boil my cabbage twice by rehearsing again what was said on 17 June but my message today is fairly straightforward. The post office needs €15 million in the coming and subsequent years to maintain its level of service to its 1 million customers. Some €15 million sounds a lot, but it is a paltry sum. It is, effectively, the cost of one cup of coffee per person in the State on one day.

Our post offices are the jewel in the crown of our support and social mechanisms. They are a leading national asset playing a vital role in supporting communities across Ireland, not just economically, but socially and environmentally. Economically, they process more than €7 billion in social welfare every year, much of which is spent locally, for example, in the supermarket around the corner or the local craft shops. This is particularly true in rural and disadvantaged areas. The local post office, furthermore, provides a trusted face-to-face service that engenders social inclusion and reduces isolation, particularly for older and vulnerable people.

Environmentally, too, local post offices' presence reduces the need for long-distance travel to access further post offices that may be necessary with the closure of the local one. The essential services of post offices facilitate their 1 million weekly customers to support sustainable local enterprise, as well as assist in the ongoing fight against carbon pollution.

The Grant Thornton report, entitled "Securing the Future: Sustaining Ireland's Post Office Network through Strategic Investment", outlines the need for an investment of €15 million a year for five years. Post office revenues, while somewhat static since 2018, have actually fallen by about 20% to 25% in real terms and when taking account of inflation. It is not that post offices are inflexible about new trends. That is not the case. They are very willing to take on any new Government services possible or expand existing services, for example, in documentation generation for all Government forms, which stump many people of the older age cohort; PSC card ordering through their network; or augmenting the difficult register of electors forms, which I saw in Waterford coming up to the last local elections. We had to bring in a bunch of new staff to try to get the register of electors fit for purpose for the local and European elections. That could be done by the post office, or it certainly could be assisted in that way. I am a peace commissioner and it is high time we began to look at post offices as the locus for peace commissioners. It would be much handier if people who were dealing with Government forms could have them authorised or countersigned by a peace commissioner in situ rather than having to look up where the next peace commissioner might be – it could be anywhere in the county, according to the legislation. These are a handful of things we could look at.

I wish to now take a little step aside – a little bit of a digression by way of an illustration. Is léir go bhfuil an-eolas ag an Aire Stáit ar na hoifigí poist ina dhúiche féin, go mórmhór i nGaeltachtaí Thír Chonaill. Tá oifigí poist i gCill Charthaigh, i nGleann Cholm Cille, in Ardara, i Dungloe, i Leitir Mhic an Bhaird, sna Dóirí Beaga, sa Fál Carrach, i nGort an Choirce, Milford, Ros na Cille, Árainn Mhór agus Toraigh. Is iad sin an dosaen díreach atá istigh nó gar do na Gaeltachtaí. By contrast, the one remaining post office in the Waterford Gaeltacht closed last year. The local Spar owner Páidí Breathnach wanted to take it on, and An Post was offering him €21,000 a year to run it, but only after he put in €45,000 of his own money to fit it out. If there was a bit of flexibility there, it would not have been the inevitable. For a want of ha'p'orth of tar, the ship was lost.

We are aware that the quantum of computer literacy with the older cohort is still significantly in deficit. Those people yearn for face-to-face advice rather than being told coldly to download an app.

I refer to parcels and e-commerce. This growth has increased demand for parcel handling click-and-collect service points, another viable entity for the post offices. That all depends on a physical footprint that is trustworthy and welcoming. Here again, the post office provides a familiar, recognisable and reliable locus for such services.

We see time and again advisories on scams all over the place. However, none of those advisories is more focused or trusted than the word from the local postmaster.

In rural communities, the post office is an immediate access point to the banks – AIB and the Bank of Ireland. Those two august institutions, as Members know, closed branches with literal abandon over the past decade and a half to assuage the greed of the institutions and fund managers. The institutions and fund managers drove those closures. We should not be in the driving seat of driving the closures of post offices for the want of a better investment. We can ensure the survival and prosperity of the post offices if we put the funding in place.

The pinnacle, and some would say the encouraging and caring nature of post office workers, was truly and inexorably shown during the pandemic. The thousands of hours of selfless service they gave can never really be quantified but, certainly, should never be forgotten. How much more trying and traumatising would it have been had we not had these doughty people in the post offices, who stood strongly with their communities, and sensitively in many cases as well?

The bottom line is that it is €15 million a year for the next five years. Anything less will generate losses of service. For example, we can quantify it like this. Some €14 million will lead to 80 to 100 closures, with attendant losses. They will be permanent and damaging - socially, societally and politically. They will demonstrate a haughty dismissal of rural Ireland by the Government.

In fairness, I thank the Minister of State for being here to hear our pleas, from his own party colleagues, the Independents and Sinn Féin. Everywhere, the chorus will be the same. The fundamental bottom line when it comes to post offices is like the slogan that some chain of shops uses that we hear regularly on radio advertising: when they are gone, they are gone. There is no bringing them back. It is up to us to be wise enough to hold onto the jewel in the crown.

Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)
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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.

Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)
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I am sharing time with Senators Tully and Andrews. I will take four minutes and they will take three each. I welcome the Minister of State. I welcome the opportunity to speak today on an issue that goes to the very core of Irish communities: the future of our post office network. As has already been said, over the past ten years 257 post offices have closed across the country. That is a shocking figure. Behind that statistic, there are 257 communities, both rural and urban, that have lost a vital public service, a trusted institution and, for many, the last tangible expression of the State in their daily lives.

The figures are stark. Cork has seen the largest number of closures, a total of 34 including 22 in rural areas. Galway has lost 21 rural post offices, Dublin has lost 21 and Donegal 19. The list goes on. My own county of Limerick has lost 12. These closures affect not only the delivery of services, but the cohesion and well-being of entire communities. Let us be clear; the local post office is not just a place to send parcels or to buy a stamp. It is where people collect their pensions, access social welfare, use banking services and stay connected to Government Departments. For many people, particularly older people and those in remote areas, it is also a place of routine and of human contact. It reduces isolation, fosters connection and provides security not in an abstract way, but in a real, human, day-to-day sense. These post offices are not just businesses; they are public services and must be supported as such.

Despite this, we are watching the system unravel before our eyes. Just last month, postmasters warned that 40% of post offices could close unless the Government steps up with meaningful investment. The contract model is not fit for purpose. Long-serving postmasters are retiring but new entrants are not coming forward. We are at a tipping point. If we do not act now, the network will continue to shrink. With each of these closures, a little more of rural and local Ireland disappears. The damage to social cohesion, local economies and community identity will be profound and long-lasting.

The State has failed to grasp the urgency of the situation and communities are paying the price. That is why we in Sinn Féin have consistently called for a new approach. We are calling for a public service mandate for the post office network, to be backed by sustainable funding, strategic investment to ensure long-term viability, a modernised contract model that recognises the real value postmasters bring to their communities and a vision to expand services rather than stripping them away.

I commend the Irish Postmasters' Union president, Sean Martin, and its secretary general, Sandra Tormey, on their advocacy and leadership. We know the consequences of inaction. What we need now is political will. Those in the Government cannot continue to ignore the crisis in our post office network. Every time a post office closes, the State becomes more distant and abstract and people feel it. They feel forgotten and communities slowly become invisible. We have the chance to do something different, to choose community over cuts, to choose investment over neglect and to put public service and social cohesion at the heart of our national priorities. Let us not let another 257 post offices close. Let us protect what is left and build a stronger and more connected future for our communities.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I live in a rural area of County Cavan, about 3 miles from the village of Kilnaleck. Some 12 or 13 years ago, there was a branch of Ulster Bank with an ATM that was open all hours, a branch of Cavan Credit Union and a post office in the town.Now, there are none of those. There was an ATM service provided through one of the shops when the ownership changed, so at least that is there during opening hours. The post office there was one of the 257 that have closed in the past decade. It is one of seven that closed in Cavan, all in rural areas. The reason given at the time by An Post for the closure was that there were under 500 people living in the village. It ignored, however, the fact there were 5,000 people living in a 5 km hinterland of that village, that there were 40 businesses in and around the village and about the same number within a couple of miles of the village. It resulted in people having to travel to one or the other of two nearby towns to access post office services. With that, they took their business out of the village. They were not going to collect their pension or whatever other payment through the post office and then come back into Kilnaleck to do their shopping, go for their cup of coffee or whatever it might be. The whole village suffered as a result of that and business was lost from the village.

A post office is important. It offers financial services, access to social welfare and communications infrastructure. That was really important in my area because there were a lot of people from eastern Europe working in and around the village over the past 20 years. They used the post office on a continual basis to contact home and send money home and so forth. They could not do that anymore. They had to then travel and most of them do not have cars. They had to rely on public transport to get to another village to use the post office.

The Minister of State said himself there is a social aspect to the post office. He is correct in that, but we should actually respect that. We need to see the outdated contract terms changed. When the postmaster or postmistress is retiring, the post office closes because it is not attracting new entrants. We need to see a new contract and new approach. We need to see increased investment. The Irish Postmasters' Union have stated that if the investment of €75 million over the next five years, that is, €15 million a year, is not provided, the future for the post office network is bleak. With increased investment, we need to see new initiatives like increased banking services or support for different Government schemes. There was almost a concerted effort to move from post offices to banks for social welfare payments. We need to see that reversed. Post offices contribute approximately €767 million to the social and economic value of our country as well. We have to keep that in mind.

It is worth comparing with our EU counterparts. France invests 270% more in its post office network than we do. Belgium invests 500% more and Italy invests 340% more. We need to learn from those.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I have previously raised the issue of the Rathmines post office being sold off and moved to a Centra. The building that houses the post office in Rathmines was built in 1934. It is a purpose built, art deco post office. It is an absolutely incredible building. It is vital that services and infrastructure like this are maintained, and they should be maintained and not sold off to a private developer or private owner. It is honestly incredible that the Government will allow the sale of this building to a private owner. The Rathmines post office could be the centre of Rathmines. It could be a central community hub and it could be the heart of cultural or community activities. The Government wants to sell this off. It is absolutely astonishing that this Government would sell such an amazing, beautiful building with such massive potential.

As has been said, postal services need €15 million every year to keep them going. I honestly think that will only keep them on a life support machine. It is all very well saying the Government supports postal services, but in Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 over the past ten years, at least four or five post offices have closed down. While the Government says it supports the postal services, the evidence suggests it does not support the postal services, post offices and the Irish Postmasters' Union. The evidence suggests the Government is actually willing to let it die a slow death. It needs to invest, and not just the €15 million, and create a new model that is something similar to what Sinn Féin has proposed, which would mean postmasters and post offices could survive long term in a sustainable way.

The postmasters will not be found wanting when it comes to change. As has been said, it is not a handout to services. It is an investment in communities and ordinary people who use the postal services. The president of the Irish Postmasters' Union said recently that everyone is in danger of closing if transactions keep declining. Every post office will be under threat. The €15 million is the bare minimum that postal services require. Postal services will die, one after another, if the €15 million is not provided. There has to be more than just that. There has to be greater investment in services and provision so they can take on different services and make more money to make it more sustainable for the post offices. Communities need postal services. It is a valuable part of the social infrastructure and it is really important the Government stops saying it is in support of postal services and actually delivers the support post offices need.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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The next grouping is the Cross-Party Group. Senators Noonan and Cosgrove are sharing time. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I am delighted to be having this conversation and see there is such enthusiasm for this debate. All of us speak so warmly and fondly of the postal services because the post office network has traditionally played a special and significant role in all of Irish life, from before and after the foundation of our State. The local post office holds a special place, which we can see here, in people's affections. The services that are provided - we have all said this - go way beyond the realm of posting letters and parcels. This network allows people who might otherwise be excluded from participation in an increasingly digital and impersonal economy to fully participate as citizens in their local communities. It allows people who do not have bank accounts to do their financial transactions and pay the utility bills but also the payment of certain essential bills which keep the State running, including property taxes and TV licences. It also allows those who cannot engage with banking and bills online to pay in person. We have heard here tonight that postmasters often help people, older people, in particular, with their financial transactions. We see passport applications, the payment of fines and the list goes on and on.

We all know - this was spoken about earlier - that Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank and AIB have closed branches all over the country, which leaves an awful lot of villages and towns without a financial institution. When we are talking about the role of the post office, the most significant of all is its role in circulating €7 billion in actual cash into communities every year. This is money that is paid out in welfare benefits to people who are living on low incomes such as pensioners, people with disabilities and those who are unable to work. Some of the most vulnerable members of our society find their economic lifeline in post offices. I have pointed out on many occasions in this House that the particular impact those on low incomes have, both on the local and national economy, is disproportionate. Money that is received locally by people who have a lower income is spent locally. These support local, sustainable business, microenterprises and social enterprises in local communities.

Moving beyond the realm of the financial role of post offices, we must look at the social role and the social life it gives many people, which has come up here many times tonight. In many rural towns and villages, a trip to the post office to a receive a hard-earned pension and to pay the bills is often followed by a trip to the local shop. Each of these interactions helps keep people physically and mentally healthy. Each of these interactions has an impact in keeping older people in their own homes for longer. A report produced by Grant Thornton for the Irish Postmasters' Union, which we have all spoken about, estimates the social and economic value of the post office network to be €344 million to €777 million per year and asserts that can be maintained at a cost of just €15 million per year. I am delighted there is such enthusiasm from the Government but, unfortunately, the evidence shows that, in the past ten years, 31 post offices have closed in the north west - the Minister of State will know this as it is in his own area - four in Leitrim, eight in Sligo and a staggering 19 in Donegal. Many rural villages and communities are now left without a post office, which leaves a gaping hole in those villages for older people. For many people, their lifeline for social interaction is gone. If we fail to provide this relatively small amount of funding that will help sustain the independent, individual enterprises which make up the network, we risk seeing what the Grant Thornton report called rapid, unrestrained closures which will cause irreparable financial, economic and social harm. However, I am heartened to see the Government recognises the value of the post office network and has committed to funding this vital economic and social network to 2030.The Irish Postmasters' Union, which I was delighted to meet, has evolved and responded in this ever-changing world and its needs must be responded to, if not with enthusiasm, then with compassion. Its efforts need to celebrated, but it also needs to be supported and we need to listen to exactly what its needs are. I hope the Government will fulfil its promise and commit to a minimum of €15 million.

Malcolm Noonan (Green Party)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. There have been many excellent contributions this evening on the social, cultural and community needs that are reasons to retain our post office network. I will focus a little on the heritage assets of our towns, looking back at the last programme for Government, under which we introduced the town centres first programme. Thankfully, it has been committed to again in this programme for Government. We can see the invaluable asset the physical presence of our post offices continues to be in our towns. Historically, our towns evolved as places of transaction - market towns - and if it becomes a situation where the opportunities for transaction and interaction are diminished or reduced year on year because of the loss of banks and other facilities, our towns will unfortunately go into perpetual decline. That is where we have these challenges. The reality is that many towns are still struggling despite policies brought in by the Government around urban regeneration and conservation and restoration of older buildings. We need all these services to make our towns vibrant, and what our post offices offer, as well as the wider services they provide, is being a physical hub. The opportunities to expand that have been mentioned in many contributions this evening, such as energy hubs, information centres and lots of other places of exchange that our post offices could become, if the will is present in the Government to do so.

Comments were made about Rathmines post office. It is an incredible built heritage asset in the heart of Rathmines. Many post offices are heritage buildings in their own right and many are on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Even in my home town of Kilkenny, we have a beautiful high street post office. Backing onto it was a sorting depot, which moved its operation to an industrial estate more than 20 years ago. That depot has been empty for that period. Many of us have been looking to convert it into a black box theatre space for local productions, yet despite many letters to An Post, we have not had any positive engagement with An Post on the matter. Therefore, there is also the built element, where the buildings have a dual use or could be brought back into productive use. That is important.

Most of all, though, and like other Members have this evening, I urge the Minister of State and the Government to take seriously the requests of the Irish Postmasters' Union, which have been there for many years, even during our time in government together, and to find a way forward to try to maintain a vibrant ecosystem of post offices and a viable economic return for postmasters for their activities within it. It is essential to our town centres.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I understand Senator Rabbitte is sharing time with Senator Goldsboro. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for attending and the Cathaoirleach for facilitating this debate. It is appreciated that we are having this conversation. I am glad to be joined this evening in the Public Gallery by my postmistress from Portumna, Sinead Salmon, and my former postmaster in Mountbellew, Peter Kitt. Listening to all the valuable contributions, and having a financial head myself, I was looking at the statistics. An Post assists in gathering €400 million when it comes to fraud, believe it or not. There is a logical argument to be made for collecting 1.5% from the funding gathered in fraud prevention - that would be €6 million - and giving it back to postmasters. Then we would not need to have this conversation at all.

Post offices provide a valuable service and are the social fabric of all our parishes, whether they are urban or rural, whether during the Covid-19 pandemic, Storm Éowyn or other pandemics. At the end of the day, the one trusted part of our social fabric priority is our post office network and we need to recognise its value. Sometimes when we lose a bus service, we argue there is a public service obligation, PSO. I would argue the same is required to maintain our post office network in our communities. I certainly do not want at any stage to find that it is already too late to argue to retain a post office. I do not want to be in a community centre begging a Minister to support my local post office. I have done it once before in Eyrecourt when there were 770 people. The figure that was required will always ring out for me. Going forward, €5 million is a good investment.

Imelda Goldsboro (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the postmasters. It was great to meet them earlier. I understand the urgency that is required around the funding. I support everything that has been said by my colleagues.

I am from Tipperary South, which has been hit by a number of these closures. We can see the decimation of our villages and communities because the post offices are gone. People do not appreciate them until they hear the rumblings in the camp of what could happen or who is thinking of retiring. We need to put more services into post offices. We need to deal with this urgently to allow those who have contracts coming up for renewal to have them signed and sealed. No price can be put on what they are doing for the public, for communities. It is priceless. We saw it in emergency times, such as storms and the Covid-19 pandemic. It is about the connection, and sometimes in rural Ireland, the voices of post office staff are the only voices people hear. It is the only face-to-face interaction they have, and that is priceless.

No matter the outcome for rural Ireland, the post office is the hub of every community. Not every community has buses, trains, Luas or a metro. The message is that we have supported those and the post office network should be treated with further support. The services should be enhanced. Post offices should be made vibrant products and be supported every step of the way.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State is welcome. It is great we have a rural Minister of State who understands this brief and the impact of post offices on rural communities.

Post offices have long been more than simply places to post letters or collect a parcel. As we have heard tonight, they are trusted local institutions that support the day-to-day lives of people in every corner of our country. They are community hubs, lifelines for the elderly and, increasingly, essential service providers in an age when banks and other supports are disappearing from rural Ireland.

The Irish Postmasters' Union commissioned a recent RedC poll and we know the value and weight this House puts on RedC polls. That poll put figures on what many of us already knew in our hearts, namely, that post offices mattered. The poll found that 91% of people believed post offices remained crucial in today's digital world. At a time when online transactions are growing, the need for human contact, trustworthy advice and access to physical services has not disappeared. In fact, they have become even more valuable, especially for those who are vulnerable or isolated or simply prefer face-to-face engagement. I have seen postmasters put credit on mobile phones for elderly people who are not able to do that job. They do work that is not in their remit.

Another detail that came through the RedC poll is even more striking. Nine out of ten people believe their community would be worse off without a post office. That is not just a statistic. It is a powerful statement about belonging, identity and the infrastructure that keeps communities connected. I refer to a publication by the Irish Postmasters' Union in which Pádraig Mac Namara, a postmaster in Granard, captured it beautifully when he said that the post office is more than just a workplace, it is a vital part of the community. With both banks closed in his town, people turn to him in his post office for everything from bill payments, savings, and cash withdrawals. Many of our most vulnerable citizens still rely on cash to manage their daily finances. His words are a reminder that, behind every counter, there is a person who knows their customers by name, who checks in on their well-being and provides a level of personal service that no app or algorithm can replace. If we want this network to survive, we need long-term Government investment. The public is not just in favour in that; some 89% believe it is important that the Government continues to invest in keeping our post offices open.

This is not a plea for sentimentality. It is a call for sustainability because securing the future of our post office network is directly linked to the sustainability of many rural communities. I had a Commencement matter this morning about promoting remote working. The Department is fully behind building on the infrastructure that the State has already invested in. The post office network is an integral part of tapping into remote working. We have a social responsibility to address this. I welcome the postmasters from Galway, Kerry, Louth, Mayo, Kildare, Westmeath, Waterford, Donegal and Dublin. We will support them as best we can.

Shane Curley (Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht a bheith anseo anocht don ábhar thar a bheith tábhachtach seo, go háirithe in áiteanna iargúlta timpeall na tíre. I thank the Irish Postmasters' Union, whose representatives gave us a detailed and passionate presentation earlier. I want to pay tribute to Sinead and Peter, in particular, who are from my own county in Galway. Their front-line perspective after years of rising pressure and change is crucial as we chart the future of our post office network.

The post office is more than just a place to post a letter or collect a payment. It is the cornerstone of community life in towns and villages right across rural Ireland. The post office brings people into the centres of our towns and villages. It generates vital income for small coffee shops, restaurants, pubs and many other SMEs across rural Ireland, not to mention the mental health benefits of mingling with friends while doing business in the post office. As the postmasters' union has said, this funding is not a handout, it is an investment in our communities.

I am pleased to see the Government recognises this. I welcome that the Government has committed €10 million over a three-year period in direct support to An Post to stabilise the network and allow time for reform and innovation. However, the discussion this evening primarily revolves around funding, and a detailed breakdown of the need to increase this figure to €15 million has been provided by the postmasters' union. We need to revisit and reconsider this. For the sake of the extra €5 million, the massive benefits to our rural communities cannot be overstated.

The transformation of the network must go beyond survival. It must be about ambition and long-term solutions. Access to cash in rural areas is vital to many people. The decline in the banking presence across rural Ireland is no secret. The exits of KBC and Ulster Bank have left massive gaps. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for An Post to step in. We already have the backbone of this as An Post has the largest retail network in the country. It has an IT infrastructure capable of national interconnectivity. It has a trusted reputation, especially among those who are vulnerable and struggle with digital literacy. That is a hugely important fact. What will it take to fully realise this potential? In our briefing earlier we were told that if one particular post office in the Minister of State's constituency closed, it would be a 34 kilometre trip to the nearest access to a cash point. That just brings the issue into perspective. An Post is doing its part. It is developing new services, such as An Post Money, and it is rolling out a greener fleet, but it cannot carry this burden alone. The sustainability of the network must be a shared national priority. We need to look at increasing the €10 million to €15 million as part of the package.

Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael)
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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.

Dee Ryan (Fianna Fail)
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The Aire Stáit is very welcome to the Chamber for this important discussion. I rise to support the many statements that have been made by my colleagues across the Chamber and the very good points they have raised. I know the Minister of State comes from a rural constituency and, with his portfolio in the previous Government and his familiarity with agriculture and rural communities, he is all too aware of how important our post offices are to the fabric of society in rural communities. I am from a hybrid constituency, if you like. I am a country girl from a village but living on the outskirts of a city. Knowing your postman and that relationship you develop with your postperson is as important in the suburbs and the city as it is to those in the villages. That is to acknowledge the good work that is also being done in the suburbs.

I am not going to repeat the points that have already been made. I would just like to highlight one important overarching piece of policy that we are all trying to work to in government, which is of course Project Ireland 20240 and the national development plan. Our aim as a society in managing our population growth is to do that in a sustainable way, with only 25% of our population growth over the next number of years up to 2040 to be in Dublin. Our aim as a Government and as a State is to increase the number of people who are living in our already established villages and towns. With that in mind, it is critical we support the postmasters in the ask they come to us with to allow them that time to continue to rethink their operations and for us and the Government to work out how we might best use this valuable door into communities.

I commend the postmasters on the work they have already done in diversifying. I notice the many mobile phone and insurance offers available when I pop into my local post office. I commend them on the changes they have had to make and the new learnings and skills they have developed over recent years. I thank them for their continued work and services in our communities.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I propose, with the agreement of the House and the Minister of State, that we extend the sitting for an additional nine minutes to allow three further speakers.

Imelda Goldsboro (Fianna Fail)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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The Minister of State is very welcome. This is a very important subject. In the past ten years, 257 post offices have closed. In Cavan, seven post offices in total have closed permanently in the past ten years, including in Corrraneary, Killeshandra, Kilnaleck, Mount Nugent, Swanlinbar and Tullyvin. The north west is getting one of the biggest hits of all, including the Minister of State's county of Donegal.

The post office network is the social fabric of our communities. Friday is a huge social day out for people and a chance to catch up, do the shopping, pay the bills, get the phone credit and have lunch out. Every town that has a post office that is open and working has the same buzz on a Friday. Post office staff help our elderly and people who are not digitally literate with forms, read the requirements for application forms or give advice on people's entitlements and what to do. I know people who work in a post office. They tell me there is pressure on service users to sign up for online payments. That needs to be addressed. I remember when Kilnaleck post office in Cavan was closing, a crowd of Government TDs lined up for photos at the protest against the closure. The photos and the representations of those TDs to the Government did not save that post office, but I noticed these same TDs were relentlessly promoting passports online. The irony was that reduced business to the very post office they were trying to save.

We need to be more in tune with the unintended consequences of new initiatives and our own actions. We need digital inclusion. It is a brilliant one-stop shop for all, with bill payments, phone credit and everything you could possibly want. We must invest in the future of the post office network that is at the heart of our communities. I thank the Chair for allowing me in.

Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State is most welcome to the Chamber. I acknowledge the presence of the many individuals in the Gallery with a strong connection to our strong and vibrant post office network.

My family's involvement with An Post started when my great-grandfather served as a local postman for 40 years. My grandfather was a postman for forty-seven and a half years. Pride of place in my home place is the certificate of long achievement he received as a result of that service. I know exactly what it means to be involved in An Post. I saw first-hand the benefit my grandfather experienced as somebody who was out and about meeting people and engaging with the local community on a daily basis.

I fully support the ask of the Irish Postmasters' Union for an additional €5 million on top of the €10 million that was committed over the past three years. I attended the Oireachtas committee on communications and listened very carefully to what was said about the future model of An Post, which involves greater incorporation and delivery of State services through the existing post office network. That is something I very much support, particularly in respect of drivers' licences and passports. So many more State services could be delivered through the post office network. I hope the Minister of State will take that on board.

The comment of the night was made by Senator Noonan, when he said that he had been writing letters to An Post about this and while the letters were getting delivered, the message had not been heard. It is to be hoped that is something we can take back and work on.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State is very welcome to the Chamber to give us the opportunity to say what we feel and to outline the importance we place on this vital service, which is the heartbeat of many of our communities.

Over the past few days, I have thought about the impact, just in my own life, of those working in the service. I could not stop thinking about that jingle, "Who Are the People in Your Neighbourhood?", from "Sesame Street". As a child growing up in Rathangan, Molly Forde, who was the local postmistress, was such an incredible woman. She was always so kind and was the hub of everything that went on. She also controlled the electoral register. She knew when everybody was going to be 18 and could put them on the register. Her son-in-law, Alan, continued that for a long time. Even now, Connie and Shane are there, and Brendan, Marie, John and Frances are in the Newbridge post office. It is such a joy to be able to go in and see what they do.

The postmasters' ask is very clear. They need to have €15 million annually, tied in for the next five years, to be sustainable and to continue the excellent service they are giving. That is 50% over what they are receiving at this point. When we look at the service they give and the social impact they have, this is value for money. This is the equivalent of a cup of coffee for every citizen in Ireland. A significant number of postmasters are earning less than the minimum wage. They are earning less than the people they have to employ to make sure there is an excellent service everywhere.

I looked at some other countries to see how they manage their post office system. It was interesting to see that France has expanded its post office service into digital services, banking and a lot more government services than we have. That is a very good lesson for where we could go. There is no doubt that our post offices could continue to evolve to be strong community hubs. There could be a payment collection, motor tax and driving licence services, or vehicle registration. There are so many different types of government activities that people are frustrated about and for which they have to try to get to a large town. A lot of that could be collated and done locally by people they trust. That is the essence of what postmasters do. I thank the Chair very much for giving me an extra few seconds. I appreciate it.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank all the Senators for their contributions. The very large turnout of Senators, the fact so many are still present in the Chamber and the number who came in to contribute to this debate very much reflects the esteem in which the post office network is held, not just in the political system but in the minds of local communities.

I also thank the Irish Postmasters' Union representatives for being here and for always strongly putting forward and advocating on behalf of the network and the role it can play. I assure them that in my role as Minister of State, I want to champion the post office network and make sure that it stays strong and vibrant. There are challenges. I want to work to support the post office network to address those to maintain post offices and keep them sustainable.

Many Senators raised the renewal of the three-year agreement, which completes at the end of this year. That has delivered €10 million, for the first time, from the Government to support the post office network. I am committed to making sure we renew that and working to make sure it is as strong as possible. The postmasters' union has made a submission and an ask for €15 million. Obviously, the outcome is very much subject to budgetary negotiations, but I assure the union that I am working in every way possible to get the strongest possible outcome in that regard, and to get a renewal of that agreement that will see the post office network supported strongly by the State.

I will also continue to work on and assess the opportunities to see how we can deliver and expand the services through the post office network. There is a real willingness among postmasters and postal service staff to try to take every opportunity possible to see how they can be even more at the hub of service provision in local communities. That is something I certainly will be exploring to see what more is possible and what we can do in that space.

We are also working on the technical pieces around the renewal of the three-year agreement, subject to state aid rules. This comes within the European Union state aid rules, so we are preparing the groundwork for that as we engage in the budgetary process regarding the final outcome.

A few Senators mentioned post offices that are in heritage buildings and the importance of trying to maintain those. As the post office service is very much at the centre of local communities, in some cases, the buildings in which these are housed have been at the centre of local communities. That is something I am conscious of. In recent times, we have seen some post offices move for co-location, which has worked very well for many postmasters and for the provision of services.However, we have to be very conscious that, where a transfer of location takes place within a town or village, particularly if the post office is in a heritage building, full consideration should be given to making sure the building stays at the heart of the community and remains part of community life. A protocol is in place regarding how An Post must engage with the Department of housing and heritage and the local authorities and under which they have the first call on any property. We have to see the buildings repurposed so that they continue to service the local communities in the way the post offices would have previously provided a key service to them.

I met An Post this morning. I know the postmasters' union has been working closely with it. There is a very strong shared commitment to maximising the capacity of the postal network to provide services and, in terms of innovating, to making sure that An Post is at the forefront of developing new opportunities. That is something I have worked on with An Post and the postmasters' representatives.

I thank the Senators for their very clear message, their contributions and their articulation to the wider public of the importance of maintaining this service and of the understanding of that within the political system, including the Government. I also note the strong articulation to all who work in the post office network of how the service they provide is very valued. It must be valued by the Government in terms of the way we support them to be financially sustainable. Gabhaim míle buíochas leis na Seanadóirí. I look forward to continuing to work closely with all of them to ensure our network is supported throughout the country.

Imelda Goldsboro (Fianna Fail)
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When is it proposed to sit again?

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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Tomorrow at 9.30 a.m.

Imelda Goldsboro (Fianna Fail)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.