Is mór agam an deis labhairt ar an mBille seo a bhaineann le seirbhís atá thar a bheith tábhachtach do dhaoine i mo Dháilcheantar agus timpeall na tíre, is é sin an tseirbhís poist. Cuirim fáilte ar leith roimh an infheistíocht sa bhreis atá anois á cur ar fáil ag an Rialtas tríd an mBille seo le tacú le gréasán na n-oifigí poist timpeall na tíre agus a chinntiú go gcuireann siad seirbhís ar fáil do na daoine atá ag brath orthu. Ag an am céanna, áfach, táthar ag moladh do An Post dul i ngleic leis an nuálaíocht, cur chuige nua a spreagadh maidir leis na seirbhísí a chuireann sé ar fáil do phobal na tíre agus é ag claochlú i gcónaí. I thank the Minister of State for bringing the Bill to the House. I thank him also for his engagement with my colleagues from Dublin and me and with postmasters and representatives of postal service providers across the country. That engagement has been important. It underlines the importance we in our party place on the post office network and the central role it plays in Irish life, both in cities and in rural areas. In all the post offices in my constituency, including Clondalkin post office and all the offices in Lucan, there is a buzz around the place on days like pension day. That encapsulates the importance of the post office network as a social outlet for many communities, and especially for older people, for whom loneliness is a real issue. Where postmasters, postmistresses and counter staff know individual customers by name, the service they provide is a vital lifeline for communities, not just in rural areas but also in cities and in large suburbs such as in my constituency of Dublin Mid-West. That comes even more into focus when we think of the challenges facing our communities in terms of digital exclusion. There are people who may not have well-developed digital skills or be able to access online platforms to do their everyday business and life administration, as many of us of another generation might be able to do. In providing a breadth of services, post offices offer a real outlet and lifeline to those people, not only to do their business without compromising their pride by having to ask for help but also from the knowledge that the service is available to them. When there was widespread disruption to postal deliveries in my constituency in recent months, it caused real disruption for older people, not just in terms of birthday cards and gifts but also missed hospital appointments. While a hospital might call people to appointments by email, many older people wait for a letter to provide them with the information they need. This calls into question the often-held assumption that loneliness is not prevalent and connection is not at a premium in built-up areas. That is not always the case. Older people and people from all backgrounds who have come to my clinic or spoken to me at the doors have recounted how important an active and vibrant post office is to them. Denmark recently announced the phasing-out of traditional postal services. The reaction here in Ireland to that announcement underlined the importance of investing in our postal network. People do not just think of our postal service in terms of the delivery of letters. They think of the post office as a stable and familiar linchpin or anchor in their communities. It is a social pillar in the community. For many people who experience loneliness in their lives, going to the post office is one of the few occasions in the week when they will meet someone and enjoy a meaningful conversation and human connection. The importance of the stability and familiarity of dealing with the same teller, postmaster or postmistress cannot be overstated. The additional investment enabled by this Bill sends an important signal to the post office network that the State believes there is a massively socially desirable aspect to the provision of postal services. I bring to the attention of the House the ability of the State to combat the ongoing pandemic of loneliness in our communities in cities, towns and rural areas throughout the country. The post office is a key front in battling that pandemic and in providing cohorts of people who feel excluded from society and who may not have a human connection with stability at a time when we hear of services being made digital first or digital only. The post office can be an outlet to provide that connection for people. Public services should strengthen community life. This Bill is a key enabler of strengthening community life by increasing investment in our post office network. We need to encourage An Post, as a result of it, to continue to innovate and bring forward new approaches to how it delivers its services. Some instances of disruption to postal delivery continue in my constituency. I will raise that directly with An Post. The impact of such disruption shows the importance people place on a functioning postal service, not just for the delivery of parcels and letters but also for connection, engagement and the human interface that so many in this country value. As a country, and certainly as a member of Fianna Fáil, we pride ourselves on being people who value community. The post office is a manifestation of that. It is one of the reasons I support the Bill. I compliment the Minister of State on bringing it forward.

Sentiment score: 0.16