Under-fire An Post ‘open to mobile post office plan’

AN POST is open to looking at the possibility of replacing some rural post offices with mobile ones that can drive to different villages on different days.

It announced just days ago the closure of more than 150 rural post offices in villages where the population is too small to sustain one. But while the issue of mobile post offices wasn’t opted for on that occasion, An Post said it wouldn’t rule out the possibility in the future.

It said: ‘We have looked at it the past in the context of everything we’ve been looking at. It may be part of our operation in the future but it’s too early to say.

‘We are aware it’s a feature of postal operations in other parts of the world. We’re not sure how suitable it is in an Irish context but in the long term we certainly wouldn’t rule it out.’

Alan Mangan, Labour candidate for Longford-Westmeath, said he believed mobile post offices could be the answer in some isolated areas. He said it is ‘a potential solution that should be seriously explored is for mobile post offices to be piloted in a number of the areas affected by post office closures’.

Mr Mangan continued: ‘Essentially, this would mean a post office in a van travelling to a number of villages, and being available at least one morning and one afternoon per week, on different days.

‘That would give each community two opportunities in the week to access postal services, while also covering the areas that five post offices used to cover.

‘While it is understandable that small rural post offices may not be economically viable, that does not mean we simply shut up shop. Mobile post offices have been tried and tested in a large number of countries, including the UK.’

Mr Mangan said it is not acceptable for An Post to ‘simply say that one in every 25 people will be left behind as improvements benefit everyone else’.

He added: ‘Such mobile units could also act as shops and bring parcels, groceries and pharmaceuticals closer to elderly people who may find it difficult to travel. There could be a role for the community and voluntary sector in running some of them. There is plenty of scope for innovation and imagination, and new jobs could be created.’

Mr Mangan called on Minister for Communications Denis Naughten and An Post to ‘consider this proposal seriously and to roll out a pilot programme of mobile post offices to test the concept’.

And yesterday, Independent TD Michael Harty, who has supported the Government in Dáil votes for the last two years, threatened to pull his support for the administration if An Post is allowed to press ahead with its closure of 159 post offices. He has said the closures would be disastrous for rural Ireland.