12. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport for an update on his Department's efforts to fulfil the programme for Government commitment to provide the nationwide network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52247/25]

Sentiment score: 0.26

I welcome the Government's ongoing commitment to continue to provide the nationwide network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities. As the Minister knows very well, it is not simply about delivering post; it is increasingly about connections and access to the world through a local service. My constituency is one of the largest in the country and is continuously growing, with a total of 4,000 homes built over five years. As the area expands, new estates, such as Kilmartin Grove in the area of Hollywoodrath, have recently faced problems with postal deliveries. The estate has not been logged for regular service by An Post, resulting in irregular deliveries and missed notices. There are the same issues in Carpenterstown and Luttrellstown, where residents have said they have been getting extremely erratic deliveries for several months, including no letter deliveries for several days and parcels sitting in our delivery office for up to one week. The same issues are happening in Castleknock and Clonsilla when people are on holidays.

Sentiment score: 0.12

The level of the communication I have received on this shows that people appreciate their postal delivery service. I am fully aware of the period of transformation that An Post has been undergoing in recent years, which is a positive transformation, and the areas of potential growth. Nevertheless, we have to keep the basics working. When issues have been directly raised with An Post and people are told there has been no designated post person for that area for several months, that is quite frustrating. I recognise the changing role of An Post, but we have to get those basics right. I appreciate the Minister raising this directly on my behalf with An Post because these are issues that have been going on for over one year. They are not just affecting one part of the constituency; it is sporadically all parts of the constituency. It is very much areas of new growth and homes that are not being included in the plans.

Sentiment score: 0.16