SOME 257 post office have closed in the last ten years, with rural areas hit the hardest, new data has revealed.
Sinn Fein’s David Cullinane recently revealed the number of post office closures by county in the last decade.
According to the data, which the TD acquired through a parliamentary question, Cork suffered the largest number of closures at 34, with 22 offices located in urban areas and 12 located in rural areas.
Both Dublin and Galway saw 21 post offices close, followed by Donegal with 19, Mayo with 18 and Kerry/Wexford with 15.
Notably, 78 per cent of all closures were located in rural areas.
Speaking with RTE, Cullinane said: “It is shocking that 257 post offices closed in the last ten years.
“The local post office plays a vital role in Irish life, providing financial services, access to the social welfare system, communications infrastructure and community supports.
Adding that the Government “cannot continue to ignore the crisis in our post office network”.
He said: “What’s needed now is targeted, strategic investment, and a new vision that puts public service and community needs first.”
The figures come weeks after the Irish Postmasters Union published a report asking for a 50 per cent increase in State funding to €15 million per year over the next five years.
Speaking to an Oireachtas Committee, IPU General Secretary Sandra Tormey said: “Currently, we have 108 postmasters who, when we take all the costs out, are earning less than the minimum wage.
“Recently, I polled my members and if the Government funding stays the same – at €10 million – 40 per cent of them will have to close.”
She added: “If the Government funding becomes €15 million, 70 per cent of our postmasters say they can see a future for the next five years.
“We are looking for an uplift of €5 million. That is the difference between 40 per cent of post offices around the country closing or 70 per cent saying they have a future.”
in June, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan said: “The Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland.”
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He added: “An Post is a commercial State body with a mandate to act commercially. An Post has statutory responsibility for the State’s postal service and the post office network.
“Decisions relating to the network, including decisions relating to specific post offices are operational matters for the Board and management of the company and not one in which I, as Minister, have any function.”
