Cllr Keith Martin's Blog

Submission to the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications on the future of the Post Office Network

Posted: 15 Oct 2012 07:46 AM PDT

Submission to the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications on
the future of the Post Office Network

In my experience as a local councillor Post Offices are vital to
village life. They are the social hub of the community where pensions
and dole are collected, bills paid, post sent, tv licences and other
charges are paid simply and locally.

In rural Ireland the post office provides an important service and
gathering point for communities. The reduction of these services would
be removing a focus point for the local community and resulting in
hundreds of job losses. In addition, this diminution of rural services
is contributing to social isolation and a disintegration of
communities as people no longer have the opportunity to meet people
and engage with their local communities.

Between 2001 and 2008 344 post offices closed, with many more
downgraded. The majority of closures took place in rural areas.
Closures and downgrading place a huge strain on local communities. The
Post Office increases footfall to other local businesses, so when one
post office closes in a rural area the knock-on effects are felt by
nearly all local businesses.

Mayo is the 3rd largest county in Ireland. The level of broadband and
computer access is very compared with urban and city areas. An an
increasingly ageing population relies on the post office for their
banking and community needs. There is also a poor public transport
network so the use of other area post offices is not possible or
desirable.

I would propose that rather than shutting more post offices that these
offices be upgraded to provide more banking services in conjugation
with local Credit Unions or bank.

Other European states have taken the approach that citizens must be
entitled to a postal service within a certain distance of their home
and it is time Ireland introduced such a measure.

Cllr Keith Martin B.A. (Hons)
Westport Town Council

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