The increasing move towards electronic billing and payment and the fall of stamp sales has put the post office network “under huge pressure”, but is not an argument for post office closures.
This is the view of Fine Gael Galway senator Hildegarde Naughton, who has called for the State’s post office network, particularly those branches in rural areas to be supported and maintained.
Speaking in the Seanad this week, Sen Naughton noted that there are 1,150 post offices in the State, with 1,100 of these operated by postmasters. She said these can be categorised as “locally based SMEs providing employment, facilitating economic activity, and providing community engagement”. She also pointed out that 30 per cent of post office business is now “derived from delivering Social Welfare cash payments”.
