Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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420. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there is a strategic plan in place to support small to medium-sized post offices from December 2025 onwards, following the conclusion of the current three-year funding arrangement under which €10 million per annum is being provided to An Post (2023-2025) to stabilise the post office network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35290/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. The Programme for Government states that the Government will continue to provide the nationwide network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities. My Department is working to deliver on this and is engaging with relevant stakeholders in relation to the funding. Additionally, my Department is working with Government colleagues to secure future funding in line with the Programme for Government.

An amount of €10 million per annum is currently being provided over a three-year fixed term (2023-2025) to An Post. An Post then disperses this funding across the post office network, with all contractor post offices benefitting from the Government funding with the objective of securing the stability of the Network. The funding is being paid monthly for each 12-month period. There has been over €23 million claimed by An Post for the period 2023 to end of May 2025 for the network.

It should be noted that An Post is a commercial State body with a mandate to act commercially. An Post has statutory responsibility for the State's postal service and the post office network. Decisions relating to the network, including decisions relating to specific post offices are operational matters for the Board and management of the company and not one in which I, as Minister, have any function. The terms under which Postmasters contract with An Post is a matter between the Postmasters and An Post and any negotiations are a matter for both parties directly.