Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 March 2021
50. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the necessary financial support as proposed by a union (details supplied) will be provided to establish an annual public service obligation with a view to supporting, underpinning and safeguarding the network of post offices throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11943/21]
View answer58. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the actions his Department is taking to support and strengthen the rural post office network and the wider post office network; if he will support the recommendations of a report (details supplied) on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11133/21]
View answer61. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the recommendations of a report (details supplied) in relation to the post office network will be implemented. [11398/21]
View answer81. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has studied the proposals in a report (details supplied) for the support mechanism for postal services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11626/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 50, 58, 61 and 81 together.
I have reviewed the report referred to. I am aware of the serious decline in mail volumes and the impact that Covid-19 has had on footfall through post offices and on the postal network.
A lot of work has been done over the past few years to develop the post office network and this has had a positive effect for both postmasters and customers. This momentum needs to be maintained and if An Post, the postmasters and Government work together we can ensure that the network can emerge as a central hub for a wide variety of valuable community-focused services.
An Post has this week announced a new partnership with Bank of Ireland to offer personal and SME withdrawal and lodgement services to Bank of Ireland customers across the An Post network of 940 post offices nationwide. This follows the announcement by Bank of Ireland on Monday that it is to close over 100 of its offices in Ireland. This builds on the agency banking services An Post already provides for a number of other leading banks including AIB and Ulster Bank with more than 4.5 million transactions and a cash value of almost €1.5bn annually.
While it is longstanding Government policy that postal services will not be directly subsidised by the Government, we remain fully committed to a sustainable post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure in both rural and urban areas.
Government believes An Post has untapped potential to do more and make a further significant contribution across many areas of public, business and community life in Ireland. I intend to set out a series of next steps on the Offline Services Report shortly.
We are working with An Post to investigate the scope to channel additional services through the network. As with any business the post office needs to develop commercial strategies to enable it to grow and maintain its relevance for its users. All options will be considered fully and efforts will be redoubled to give effect to our commitment to ensuring a sustainable and viable post office network.
In the circumstances, there are no proposals to introduce a Government funded subsidy for the post office network.
