I thank you for the opportunity to raise this particularly important matter. Originally I was disappointed that the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications could not attend but in light of the facts I will present I am glad I have a Cork Minister to listen to them who will hopefully lend a sympathetic ear to the case I am about to make.
I have a letter dated 16 September from the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications, Deputy Brennan, which was sent to the Communications Workers' Union and the chairman of An Post. The contents of this letter were to form the basis for negotiations between the two sides in their efforts to put together an alternative viability plan for An Post. The evidence I am about to present to the Minister will highlight clearly that An Post are in breach of the contents of this letter.
The letter mandates both sides to enter into negotiations without "significant reductions in the number of sub-post offices". The reality is that since the date of issue of that letter, An Post have closed every sub-post office where the contract holder has died or voluntarily withdrawn. This is, in effect, implementation of the original viability plan which was rejected by the Minister, the Government and politicians on all sides of this House. It is interesting to note that since 1984 An Post have closed a total of 120 sub-post offices in this manner.
I understand that the report the Minister commissioned into the social consequences of widespread closure of sub-post offices has been completed and presented to him. Is it the Minister's intention to publish this report? In the interim, would he mandate An Post not to proceed with the closure of any sub-post office until time has been given to consider the contents of this report?
In particular, may I bring to the Minister's attention the evidence of which I spoke earlier which proves An Post's disregard for the Minister's directive? In the past months An Post have closed two sub-post offices with which I am familiar: one at Dominic Street, Galway, which had 420 weekly pension transactions and 220 child benefit transactions monthly — clearly a viable economic sub-post office; the second, with which I am more familiar, is the Kilmurry sub-post office in my own constituency. This post office was run for many years by the recently deceased Mrs. Murphy who gave an excellent service to the surrounding community.
Kilmurry has a population of 500, and a seven-teacher national school with 220 pupils. It is an attractive village with two shops, three pubs, two churches and even a museum. Prior to the death of the postmistress she was told by management from An Post that her post office was economically viable and would survive a rationalisation plan by An Post. Yet, within hours of her death, presumably procedures were put in place which effectively closed the door on Kilmurry sub-post office. Whether or not this closure is forever rests with the Minister. If the Minister's directive and his signature on this letter has any validity, the Minister must instruct An Post to reopen Kilmurry sub-post office. The social argument for opening it is obvious — the convenience to old aged pensioners. However, it is because this sub-post office is viable economically that its closure cannot be allowed.
The original viability plan referred to the 600 least busy post offices serving an average of fewer than 50 customers each week and the viability plan proposed to close 550 sub post offices. By the yardstick being used in the viability plan Kilmurry post office is clearly economically viable. The original plan argued that a minimum of 50 transactions per week was necessary for economic viability. Kilmurry post office had 50 old age pensioners cashing their weekly cheques, along with 14 other weekly social welfare payments and 60 monthly child benefit payments. It was clearly an economically viable unit. The future of this sub post office is in the hands of the Minister. The Minister, as a Cork Minister, I am sure will give sympathetic consideration to the case I have presented. I hope An Post will be mandated to reopen Kilmurry post office forthwith.
