Tubber community petitions to retain postal services

MORE than 120 people signed a petition campaigning for the retention of postal services in Tubber.
Tubber Post Office, which had been operating in Boston, closed recently.

“In Tubber, we submitted a petition for the retention of postal services. This petition has been signed by 120 members of the community which shows how anxious people are to retain their postal services,” said Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Kelly.
“We are fortunate to have a local business interested in providing postal services in the area. This premises is beside where the original Tubber Post Office was located. It is hoped that An Post will take this into account and that all national politicians will support us in our efforts,” he continued.
Finnerty’s is the only all-day shop operating in Tubber and is owned by Galway County Councillor, Gerry Finnerty.
“The extra service would be good for us but also for the community. It works both ways. Without this move, there will be a large area from parts of Ruan to North of Tubber that don’t have easy access to the wide range of services An Post provides like bill pay and pension and social welfare,” Councillor Finnerty stated.
Councillor Kelly is keen to state that the offices in Ruan and Tubber were closed after those running them decided that they were no longer in a position to do so.
“It is unfair to say that Tubber people will be ‘forced’ to use Gort as their local post office as people are free to choose wherever they wish to do their business and are also free to nominate where they wish to collect their pension and social welfare entitlements. Let us not forget either that this is a temporary arrangement since the closure of the local post office. This arrangement may have been influenced by our existing weekly bus service to Gort on Fridays,” he said.
The petition was submitted to An Post last week according to Councillor Kelly.
“I would urge the people of Ruan to also submit a petition and perhaps investigate possible alternative premises for a post office. With two housing estates and a good population, it would be a shame not to have local postal services,” Councillor Kelly concluded.