The Rural Affairs Minister Éamon Ó Cuív TD has been called on to intervene in a dispute which is brewing between the National Lottery and rural post offices.
It seems the National Lottery is withdrawing agency authorisation for the sale of scratch cards from rural post offices.
The situation was brought to the attention of Fine Gael Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Spokesperson, Michael Ring TD by a number of rural post office agents who had received correspondence from the Lottery head quarters telling them that their authorisation as a Lottery retail sales agent was being withdrawn.
“This is another attack on rural post offices, many of which have been forced to close in recent years, and on rural people who see more services which are readily available in urban areas denied to them. Pensioners, in particular, who are weekly users of their local post office and who may enjoy a harmless flutter on a scratch card will be upset that it is no longer available,” said an angered Deputy Ring.
“The National Lottery is a Government agency and if it is truly Government policy to decentralise its agencies then how can they justify taking away another service from rural Ireland? The Government must immediately intervene to stop this from happening and I am calling on the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to do so.”
