Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 335: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his proposals to support the development of sub-post offices in rural areas or in CLÁR areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18052/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the White Paper on rural development, Ensuring the Future: A Strategy for Rural Development in Ireland, the Government remains committed to the retention of the post office network and to its use for the delivery of the most comprehensive range possible of State services to all citizens. The issue of development of sub-post offices is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.

I refer the Deputy to my colleague's reply of 4 May 2005 to a related question by Deputy Billy Timmins. As indicated in that reply, the Government is committed to a viable and sustainable rural post office network providing a range of services to meet customer needs as set out in the programme for Government. The network is geared towards customer demand in both urban and rural locations and must be adaptable to changing circumstances and trends but the core objective of the Government continues to be the retention of access to post office services in as many locations as possible.

I do not have any proposals at present to support the development of sub-post offices in rural areas or in CLÁR areas.