CLARIFICATION is this week being sought about changes to the operation of Shannon Post Office.
It is not thought that there is any danger of the post office closing, rather of it no longer being run by An Post, with possible future implications for staff and services.
“It came to my attention that there are changes planned for the post office in Shannon and, given the importance of this essential service to Shannon Town and the Shannon area, I sought further clarification from An Post about any such changes,” said Minister of State Pat Breen.
“Officials from An Post informed me that it intends to convert Shannon Post Office from being a company-run office to one run by a contractor in the coming weeks.”
Mr Breen said he was assured the changes will not mean a reduction in services there.
“I have been assured by An Post that the change in business model for the Shannon office will not in any way change the range or extent of the services offered by An Post in Shannon and it will not impact on the level or variety of services that will be available to Shannon customers,” he said.
Deputy Breen added, “According to An Post, of the 1,125 offices nationwide, just 50 are run by An Post, the rest being contractor-run offices.
The Shannon office in the SkyCourt Shopping Centre is one of seven offices being converted to contract-run in the coming weeks.
“The Shannon Post Office is an essential part of the local community infrastructure and I will be monitoring the situation closely. I will be remaining in contact with An Post to ensure that its commitment to provide Shannon with the highest level of services for the future is fully honoured and implemented in full.”
He concluded, “My door is open to the people of Shannon, as we work together to ensure a post office befitting their needs continues to serve the people of the area.”
Sinn Féin Councillor Mike McKee said he intends to raise the matter at the next meeting of Shannon Municipal District.
He said he intends to speak to An Post employees in the coming days, to establish the extent of the impact of the changes on them.
He also said he was concerned that a person running the post office in the future could reduce services, if it were more profitable to do so.
By Owen Ryan
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.