More post offices will close in rural Clare in the years ahead if a change in thinking at the highest level is not forthcoming.
That is according to North Clare councillor and postmaster in Lahinch and Ennistymon, Shane Talty (FF), who said that rural Ireland has been “let down” by national politicians.
Mr Talty, whose family have operated the post office in Lahinch for more than 60 years, announced this week that he is to step away from the Lahinch operation as a result of ongoing financial losses.
He highlighted in particular the decision by An Post to centralise the sorting of mail to the Ennis office.
He also highlighted a lack of political will to support the rural postal network.
“We have been let down [by the national politicians] and over a long period of time. I acknowledge that there has been supports in the last budget but it simply took too long for the political will to come and for financial resources to be put behind it,” he told The Clare Champion.
“I have been the postmaster in Ennistymon for the past 15 years. As long as I have been there, unions and others have been making the argument for the rural post offices as a social hub and a state outlet.
“In the last couple of years the penny has finally dropped nationally and €10 million has now been put into this [the post office network] on a national level.
“But it is not going to be able to sustain the network that is there.
“Market Street in Ennis is closing, Lahinch in all likelihood will close, the network will dwindle further.
“There hasn’t been a will to drive additional government services through the post offices. That has been needed for the past 10 or 15 years, I think it is too little, too late to try and address that.”
While he is hopeful that a local business will take on the contract for the post office in Lahinch, he says it is unlikely given the financial reality on the ground.
“The presence of a mail sorting service in rural communities had the potential to supplement and sustain small rural post offices. The policy of consolidating that service has led to the closure of rural post offices,” he said.
“It is not a decision that was taken lightly [to close the Lahinch post office]. I am not looking to make an annual income out of the post office in Lahinch. If the office could pay for itself it would remain open.
“I don’t want to pre-empt it but knowing the figures I struggle to see how any business will see that there is something in it for them. But it will be advertised, maybe they will see a benefit but I am sceptical at the moment.”
A spokesperson from An Post said that the centralisation of sorting facilities to Ennis was not a major factor in the sustainability of rural post offices in Clare.
“We will be advertising the Lahinch post office contract immediately and will be working to have a new contractor in place in good time,” said a spokesperson from An Post.
“It is not the case that we have withdrawn services from Lahinch and Ennistymon.
“What we have done is moved our postal staff in both areas into our existing delivery service unit in Ennis where they will join their colleagues who have been based in Ennis for some time.
“The move makes no difference to customers with the same postal staff still delivering the mail locally.
“The only change for our staff is that they will begin work each morning in Ennis and deliver the mail from there.
“The new location offers modern working conditions for staff as well as being ideally suited to the change in the profile of mail being handled by An Post, with fewer letters and a growing volume of parcels.
“The move mirrors the practice across the country where we bring staff together into facilities like our Ennis delivery office and is agreed by the Communications Workers Union at local and national level.
“While postmasters do receive a payment for hosting local mail staff they are compensated for loss of earnings when a mail office transfers to another location,” concluded the spokesperson from An Post.
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and blogger who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.