Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 294: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his Department's attention has been drawn to the serious inconvenience caused to social welfare recipients, particularly old age pensioners, using the services of the post office in Castleknock, which closed without warning in April 2005; when and the location at which alternative services will be provided. [12824/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is notified in advance by An Post of the closure of any post office. On receipt of the notification, my Department's customers who are affected are redirected to the nearest post office or, alternatively, to a post office designated by the customer. Where these arrangements do not suit a customer, my Department provides alternative payment arrangements either by cheque or by direct payment into a customer's account with a financial institution.

The post office referred to by the Deputy was closed temporarily on 7 April 2005 owing to flooding and social welfare customers were redirected to one of four alternative post offices within a two mile radius of the closed office. It is understood that these arrangements are working satisfactorily. A customer may contact my Department to seek alternative payment arrangements at any time.