I welcome this legislation, which gives effect to the €15 million that was announced earlier in January. I commend all the post offices and thank the post office owners who communicated with me at the time, including those I met in trying to get this vital extra funding. We all know that post offices are far more than just places to send letters and collect parcels. They provide essential public services at the very heart of our communities, where people go to pay their bills and access pensions, social welfare payments, banking services and a whole lot more. For many people, particularly the elderly, those living alone with disabilities and those without reliable transport, the local post office is a lifeline for them. As the Minister of State said in his opening statement, the strength of the post office brand is that it reaches every part of the country. Unfortunately, it no longer does because we continue to see the network diminish, with more than 250 post office closures over the past decade. Last month's closure of Geesala post office in Erris is the most recent example. The people of Geesala must now travel 10 km to Bangor Erris or almost 20 km to Béal an Mhuirthead to access services that were once available in the heart of their community. Those distances represent a real barrier to essential services. We clearly need a renewed commitment from the Government to invest in our post office network. Post offices should be recognised as essential public infrastructure and funded accordingly. By expanding the range of Government and financial services available through post offices, ensuring fair remuneration for postmasters and postmistresses and investing in the long-term sustainability of the network, we can secure the future. It is reported that the CEO of An Post will earn a base salary of €285,000 in his first year. That can be compared with what is paid to postmasters and postmistresses around the country. I want to take this opportunity to thank them for the service they have given to their communities and this country over the years.

Sentiment score: 0.18