Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 101: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on whether the closure of an estimated 500 post offices will have a devastating social impact on rural communities; and the measures he proposes to put in place to deal with such an eventual fallout. [7775/07]

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 122: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on the proposed closure of hundreds of post offices throughout rural Ireland; if he supports such proposals; the discussions he has held with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to address the concerns of rural residents over this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7733/07]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 122 together.

The Government is committed to a viable and sustainable 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.

The Deputies will appreciate, however, that I have no statutory responsibility for postal services and have not, therefore, assessed the effects, if any, of the closure of post offices. The question of the commercial viability of post offices is a matter for my colleague, Noel Dempsey, T.D., Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.