Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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413. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the way she proposes to oversee and monitor the implementation of actions to support the post office network, arising out of the report of the Post Office Renewal Board and the Post Office Hub Working Group, as outlined in point 20 of the Action Plan for Rural Development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11709/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Post Office Renewal Implementation Group and the Post Office Hub Working Group were established last year to progress the recommendations in the earlier report of the Post Office Network Business Development Group which was published in January 2016. The Network Renewal Group examined, on behalf of An Post, a number of issues relating to the post office network, including the number and spatial distribution of post offices, branch modernisation, the streamlining of products and services, and postmaster contracts. Arising out of the Group’s work, a report was submitted to An Post for their consideration on 23 December 2016.

The role of the Post Office Hub Working Group, which I chaired, was to identify potential models under which the post offices could act as community hubs, especially in rural areas. This Group has completed its work and I will report to Government shortly on its findings.

The implementation of any of the recommendations or proposals which have emerged from this process will require the agreement and input of An Post.

The actions will be monitored on an ongoing basis by my Department through its direct engagement in the delivery of the relevant measures, as well as through the processes which are being put in place to monitor the implementation of the Action Plan for Rural Development as a whole. A Monitoring Committee, which will be chaired by Minister Humphreys, will meet regularly to monitor the progress of each of the actions in the Plan. The Committee will include the key stakeholders from relevant public bodies as well as business and rural interests. Progress reports will be published every six months.