Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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206. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if priority will be given to An Post in regard to the distribution of social protection payments, as it is critical to the survival of the rural post office network that all these payments continue to be available through post offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12112/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My department makes a significant contribution to An Post through the current contract for cash services. In 2015 there were over 38 million social welfare transactions in An Post at a cost of €54 million to my department. These welfare payments through post offices are across all of the department’s major schemes: state pension, jobseekers, one parent family payments, widow/ers or survivors pensions, carers payments, disability payments and child benefit.

My department prioritises customer choice and convenience where appropriate in the method by which customers receive their social welfare payments. For the vast majority of the schemes my department will make payment directly to a bank account or make available a cash payment at a Post Office in line with customer choice. Payment options are set out on scheme application forms with no emphasis or preference on either payment method.

Where customer choice is available the vast majority of customers are choosing to have their payments made direct to bank accounts and my department will respect this choice.

Primary responsibility for An Post and the Post Office network rests with my colleagues the Minister for Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources and the Minister for Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and Gaeltacht.

My department, along with the department of Public Expenditure and Reform, will work closely with these departments as appropriate and necessary in considering the recommendations of the recent Post Office Network Business Development Group or as it is known, the Kerr Report.