Holly Cairns
Question:87. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he is taking to support rural post offices. [28552/23]
View answerThursday, 15 June 2023
Questions (87)
Oral answers (7 contributions)
I ask the Minister to outline the steps being taken to support rural post offices.
I thank the Deputy for this important question. 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. In addition, Irish post offices are typically independent businesses run by postmasters. Decisions relating to the network, including those relating to the size, distribution and future thereof, are operational matters for the board and management of the company.
The Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure of Ireland. The company fully understands the Government position and a sustainable, viable and customer-focused post office network is a key strategic priority for the company.
My Department is providing funding of €10 million per annum from within its existing capital provision over a three-year fixed term, 2023-2025, to An Post to support a sustainable, nationwide post office network in line with the commitment in the programme for Government. The funding provides time and space for An Post to accelerate the transformation and commercialisation of the network to ensure a relevant, commercially viable network delivering more services to citizens and small businesses.
The Government recognises the importance of the high quality post office network to our citizens across the country, as well as the central and trusted role of postmasters in our communities. An Post, including through the post office network, provides important services to its customers and is contracted to provide key Government services to citizens. An Post will continue actively to seek new business and explore opportunities to develop new or enhanced product lines for the network.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Everyone can understand what he says about size, distribution and so on, but it does not take into consideration the importance of post offices, particularly in rural areas, in providing financial independence to many people and vulnerable groups, older people and people with disabilities, in terms of paying bills and accessing their own finances. In addition to that is the profound impact when a post office leaves a small town or village. It is often part of the heart of a community and when that is gone it is another rundown, derelict building and it means people have to travel to other urban centres to do things like their day-to-day business of paying bills.
An Post is one of the best run services in the country. My small family business relies on An Post. We post orders every day and, almost without fail, an Irish customer will receive their order the next day. It is an exemplary service. A reduction in the number of post offices in different areas is a massive mistake and will be reflected on as such in the future. When we have to reduce our travel, consider the environment and all of those things, to make crucial services more centralised is incredibly short-sighted. What protections are there for smaller areas to keep their post offices or reintroduce them in areas that have lost them?
The €10 million per annum is there to provide stabilisation and support and to underpin that key social, economic and community infrastructure in towns and villages across the country. In the absence of that Government decision and the commitment in the programme for Government to provide that support to post offices, we would have a greater difficulty. The State has stepped in to help stabilise that. The Deputy is correct that they provide a vital service in our communities. Through the pandemic we saw the essence of that. Our postmasters and post offices provided incredible community support and were a focal point of the community response.
The funding agreed is €10 million over three years. We are ambitious to help An Post broaden the number of services available so that we can enhance viability. It also has a plan for the overall transformation and commercialisation of the network so it is commercially viable and supports services for citizens and small businesses in towns and villages. We share the objective the Deputy spoke of.
The €10 million per annum is very welcome. Everybody recognises that. Does the Minister of State recognise it is too little, too late for the ones that have closed? It is harder to reopen something after it has closed but is there recognition that they were a vital part of the community that should never have gone? Does the Minister of State have an ambition to reopen those post offices in areas where people do not have them any more? The impact of that is still being felt, particularly by older people in rural areas and people with disabilities who cannot easily access other towns and villages, particularly in the absence of suitable public transport for many disabled people.
I bring to the attention of the Minister of State reports that An Post intends to close a number of sorting offices in east Cork, which will mean people will have to travel long distances in their cars to collect post. It is a retrograde step. I know it is an An Post decision but maybe the Minister of State can bring that view to the management of An Post.
I thank both Deputies. The €10 million per year will make a difference to those who perhaps were thinking of exiting as independent postmasters. Providing that stabilisation will enhance the network. In certain areas, there was consolidation. In other villages, there was an exit of a post office. We have to try to maintain the network, and the €10 million will do that, as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure of the country.
On Deputy Stanton’s point, decisions relating to the network of post and sorting offices, including decisions relating to size, distribution and the future of the offices, are operational matters. There is proactive engagement between An Post and the trade unions on all matters relating to the sorting offices. It is important in any decisions made that there is a partnership approach between all parties involved. That is how An Post is approaching these matters.