"The people of Ballindine are being unfairly treated by An Post in its decision to close the local post office effective from August 10 next" said Mayo based Fine Gael Senator Michelle Mulherin stated this week.
The Ballina Oireachtas member continued saying: "I want to wish the post mistress well who is retiring after decades of service to the community. However An Post should afford the people and interested third parties who might be willing to continue a post office in Ballindine the opportunity to come up with alternatives. People already have identified possible alternative premises. However they have been given very short notice of what An Post seems to be putting forward here as a fait accompli.
"This is no way for An Post to do business. Many people in Ballindine have been loyally using the services of the current post office over the years. Social welfare services are now being transferred to Claremorris Post Office which is already very busy.
"I understand this will involve moving approximately 150 people including pensioners currently using Ballindine Post Office to Claremorris Post Office. One of the suggestions coming from An Post is that people can go to Milltown Post Office in Galway which is out of Mayo altogether.
"Many locals are upset and annoyed about the potential adverse impact it will have on spending in the local economy as many drawing their pension in Ballindine Post Office would shop locally afterwards.
"An Post states it is applying its Protocol for Post Office Services in arriving at this decision but the reality is that all of this is done in secret without any chance of input from the communities which are affected by it.
"I have outlined all of this to Minster for Communications, Denis Naughten. Government is providing a €30m loan to An Post to restructure and develop new services so as to become more viable. In this exercise, surely An Post should have more to show to rural communities than post office closures. The people deserve more and in this case the people of Ballindine do."
