‘Coherent plan’ sought for post office network

AN East Galway TD is to raise concerns with the Ministers for Communications and for Social Protection, calling for a “coherent plan” for the future of the post office network.
Reports in the media over the weekend have indicated that changes to payment methods by the Department of Social Protection could result in the closure of up to 400 rural post offices.
The Irish Postmasters Union (IPU) have indicated they have no objection to people being given the option of receiving payments electronically but they believe people should still have the option of collecting them from their local post office, if they wish.
Any move to make all payments electronic would result, the IPU claim, in a catastrophic drop in the earnings of rural postmasters and make many rural post offices no longer viable.
“It is critical that in dealing with our current fiscal difficulties that we remember that the calculation of the cost of any reforms must include social or environmental costs. In this case, rural post offices form a vital part in our rural communities and the calculation of the savings from any reform must take the social costs of the closure of post offices into account,” said Labour deputy Colm Keaveney.
“The IPU have put forward proposals whereby post offices could take over the management of certain Government and local authority payments, such as motor tax payments. This would preserve the post office network and save local authorities much-needed monies and represents a win-win for communities and for local authorities.
“With the closure of many bank branches, such as the Ulster Bank branch in Glenamaddy, there is also an opportunity for the post office network to be enabled to fill that gap and offer banking services, either on their own behalf or as agents for the private banks and again pressure the vital infrastructure of rural life.
“I will be raising these matters with both the Minister for Communications and with the Minister for Social Protection this week. A coherent plan for the future of the post office network is needed,” he concluded.