Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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693. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when she envisages rolling out the share value post office pilot scheme to post offices across the country; when a review will be carried out on the four post offices currently participating; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19293/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I recently presented the final report of the Post Office Hub Working Group to the Government, in line with a commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government. This report examined the potential for Post Offices to act as hubs of economic and social activity, particularly in rural communities.

It recommended that a project to test the concept of Shared Value Co-located Post Offices should be piloted, initially at four locations, with a view to the further roll out of the model if proven successful.

It will be a matter for An Post, in collaboration with the Irish Postmasters Union, to identify and agree the details of any such pilot and the specific offices to be included in the trial.

There have been a number of developments in relation to the postal services generally since the Programme for a Partnership Governmentwas agreed last May, including the commissioning by An Post of a root and branch review of the company.

Overall responsibility for the postal sector, including the governance of An Post, falls under the remit of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment and, in light of developments in the sector, it has been agreed that all aspects of the postal services, including the Post Office network, should now be under the remit of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment.