Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher Leas Cheann Comhairle has hit out at the Government over the latest rural Post Office controversy.
The Donegal Deputy has called on the Government to wake up to the fact that there is life beyond Dublin and realise that rural life is at risk if Post Office services are withdrawn from towns and villages.
Thirteen Donegal communities have been shocked to learn today that their Post Offices are to close under the latest An Post scheme which was approved by the Government. The affected areas on the list are: Bunbeg, Gortahork, Dunfanaghy, Quigley’s Point, Ballyliffin, Ballymagan, Burnfoot, Kindrum, Churchill, Culkeeny, Dunaff and Dunkineely.
Pat the Cope has strongly criticised the list, saying that this is a policy decision of a ‘Government that simply does not know or understand rural life’.
Pat the Cope said: “Earlier I had warned that many closures could result from this poorly thought out policy of Leo Varadkar’s Government but the full extent of the closures is devastating and will result in many villages and towns being left without a Post Office.
“It is not terribly long since in the Dáil that Government Ministers were giving absolute commitments that not one single Post Office would close on their watch – these words ring hollow today with 13 due to close in Donegal alone.”
Pat the Cope added, “This entire policy of the Government and An Post has been a cloak and dagger approach, with An Post ordinarily offering a normal redundancy package to the various Post Offices but with the added sting which was if accepted then no replacement Post Office would be allowed in that area.
“This policy should never had been given Government approval especially in rural areas where little or no public transport exists – in urban areas Post Office will be allowed every 2 km, but in rural areas the distance permitted is up to 15 km apart. It is self-evident that the rurally based Ministers of this Government sitting at cabinet were asleep when the details of this Post Office Scheme were approved by Cabinet.
“The terms of this scheme are far too blunt with its one size fits all approach and the policy is entirely anti rural in that it is more adversely affecting rural areas than urban areas. Time and time again this Government has failed to rural proof its policies – in rural areas where we have lesser populated areas, it is necessary to provide a social and economic dimension to policy not simply one based on a business model. It is this cold business and indifferent business approach of this Government that is ultimately destroying rural Ireland whereby if it is not making money, abolish it, regardless of the service need or social provision of what they abolish.
Pat the Cope challenged the Government to revisit this ‘policy disaster’ in relation to Post Office closures in rural areas and to put in place a ‘rural friendly amendment’ to the policy which will allow Post office services to be provided in these 13 areas affected by these imminent closures of their local Post Offices.
Pat the Cope added: “Transport connectivity and ease of access to the next nearest Post office must be a factor when closing a post office, it is also necessary to look at the area’s population both local and tourist potential before closure is considered, other factors such as location of next nearest Bank must also be considered before closure is allowed.
“Fundamentally, this is the Government admitting publicly that living in these rural communities will not be supported by the State and that is the beginning of a very dangerous anti rural policy.
“Fianna Fáil believes that the Department should initiate a Public Service Obligation (PSO) to keep these at risk post offices open and to maintain the post office network at current levels in order to save our rural way of living in our different communities.
“Minister Naughten cannot allow these decisions to be made solely on the basis of profit margins. Rural post offices deliver a service that cannot be measured in profit and loss.
“The population demographics must also be considered. Policies which are based on shear business models will only result in one thing in rural Ireland and that is the complete eventual shut down of services and social living standards in our rural communities throughout Donegal.
“The Government must now at this late stage awake from their slumber and finally realise there is life beyond the Red Cow Junction in west Dublin, but if they fail to change this policy then life in many rural villages and towns in Donegal will have changed totally and will reduce living standards of rural communities in the short time ahead,” concluded Pat the Cope.
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