We have had an interesting debate. I will begin by acknowledging a very special lady in Mullagh, County Cavan, Jane Duffy, who was lovingly known as a postwoman for 38 years. She recently retired and I want to wish her and her lovely husband, Peter Duffy, the very best of luck. The night she retired epitomised what has been said across the House during this debate. The community came out in force to go to mass. Fr. Paul Prior held a beautiful ceremony for her and everybody came to the heritage centre to celebrate, acknowledge and appreciate her 38 years of service as a postwoman. What is interesting is that she became a postwoman when she left school and knew the route entirely because her dad had been a postman for 20 years prior to that. One could say she was 58 years doing the job, but we will give her her 38 years. It is incredible service, as acknowledged by the postmistress in her local area, Caitríona Monaghan, who described her as a national treasure and trailblazer for women in the workforce for giving that public service to her local community. I want to acknowledge that. Many people have done likewise in respect of those who have been postwomen and postmen the length and breadth of the country. Everyone has come from a well-intentioned place in the debate. I reassure colleagues that the Government is completely committed to our post office network. Many issues have been raised across the House. I am conscious that the Minister, Deputy Calleary, was always very mindful, before he was Minister for Social Protection, to consider the additional services that can be provided through the post office network. Post offices are the lifeblood of many communities. They are their social conscience, fabric and hub, something we have heard reiterated many times during the debate. Deputy Cathal Crowe referred to banking. Post offices provide AIB banking and savings services. They do a huge amount, a hell of a lot more than they did in the past. There is a commitment from the Government that we will find a path for them. No community wants to be without a post office. The more services they can deliver, the better. It is important to say that An Post is a trusted name. We went through a very difficult period in this country where name recognition was important. An Post has always had trustworthy name recognition, which is important to communities. We are, of course, discussing money and funding. I recognise that the postmasters' network asked the Government for €15 million in the last budget. The Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, achieved that. He achieved an ongoing secure five-year plan totalling €75 million. I do not think the Ceann Comhairle would disagree with me when I say that what organisations ask for and aspire to in budgets is not always achieved. An Post achieved the exact figure it asked for. It has a pathway and plan to find a way forward for the post office network. That should be acknowledged. This funding will support the sustainability of the nationwide network of post offices, protecting and nurturing a commercially focused post office network. We cannot kid ourselves and say that organisations in the public service can run on fresh air. They need funding, but they also have to be viable. That is why there have been some closures when nobody in a community was willing to take on a post office. We all have the same goal in mind when we are talking about the post office network. Funding will also support access for citizens to key social benefits of the post office network and help our citizens to access services effectively and equitably. It should also be noted that An Post is a commercial State body, with a mandate to act commercially. An Post has statutory responsibility for the State's postal service and the post office network. Decisions relating to the network, including decisions relating to specific post offices, are operational matters for the board and management of the company and not one for which the Government has any function. As noted earlier, support does not mean that some post offices will not close. Closures can happen for a variety of reasons, such as retirement and for personal reasons – we have heard many such anecdotal accounts during this debate. The intention is to avoid such decisions being necessary on foot of economic hardship. Again, we are trying to make it economically viable for people to keep running post offices. Some 14 post offices have permanently closed following unsuccessful efforts to appoint new postmasters since January 2025. In every case, vacancies were advertised multiple times and local engagement was undertaken. The post office on the main street in my town, Bailieborough, closed due to retirement. A family had given many years of good service. That will happen. Therefore, we need other entities in the community, whether it be a local SuperValu or Centra, to take on the responsibility of providing the service. We have to acknowledge the expense of doing that. It is not a decision that can be taken lightly. An Post has not closed any post offices. A post office closure follows a decision by an individual postmaster to exit the business. The majority of closures resulted from postmaster retirement. At present, there are 873 active post offices and most are operated by independent postmasters, with 41 offices directly operated by An Post. It is a nationwide network of significant scale, providing economic and social benefits to urban and rural citizens across the country. Each year there is what would be described as churn within the network. An Post advises that approximately 70 to 80 post offices change ownership for a variety of reasons, including a postmaster taking over an existing premises, a relocation by an existing postmaster to a modern accessible premises or a new postmaster taking over and relocating to a fit-for-purpose premises. With regard to the sale of An Post buildings, all State bodies are required to seek the approval of the relevant Minister and Minister for public expenditure in advance of any material acquisition or disposal of land, buildings or other material assets proposed by a State body. An Post is aware of the requirement for compliance with the code of practice. The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport will consider proposals from An Post on receipt of any such request for approval.

Sentiment score: 0.16

The programme for Government commits to the Government partnering with An Post and local communities to identify and preserve heritage post office buildings that are no longer in operation, respecting their historical value and exploring potential new uses. The Department is working in the first instance with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to discuss possible options. An Post also advises that it has a protocol in place which seeks to find the best future uses for these buildings, working with stakeholders such as the LDA and local authorities. The Government is truly committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network. It is an integral part of our economic and social infrastructure and plays a significant role in our lives. In times of crisis, such as during severe storms, it has even provided a lifeline to communities during the recovery. This was certainly the case during Covid. The Government will continue to support the network and the postmasters who operate on a daily basis and preserve its position in the heart of local communities. I thank the Minister for her support here tonight. In my ten years here, I do not believe I have ever before seen Private Members' business being brought forward and nobody from the party that brought it forward being here to hear the response.

Sentiment score: 0.32