‘It’s vital to support your post office’
A FARMER who is the national chairman of the Irish Family Farm Rights Group (IFRG) has said that “far more needs to be done” to support post offices in Duhallow and throughout North Cork.
Donie Shine told The Corkman that this week, Independent TDs in the Dail will table a motion calling for An Post’s post office network to be safeguarded and for its services to be expanded to supply all of the State’s over the counter services, especially the proposed community banking service.
Recently, The Corkman undertook extensive interviews with post masters in Duhallow who unanimously agreed that their livelihood is seriously under threat due to centralisation as well as usage of their post office.
Mr Shine said: “Many people that I spoke to never knew that the situation was so serious until they read The Corkman. Rural Ireland is dying on its feet. The farming community greatly needs their local post office as do the people in towns and villages. It’s a vital cog in rural Ireland.”
He said that in both New Zealand and Germany, post offices are recognised as being critical for people’s needs, especially in rural regions.
“From the many people I have spoken to since reading The Corkman, there is a great fear that rural post offices will close. I’m hearing it from all generations, both young and elderly. No body wants to lose their local post office. I’ve spoken to a lot of post masters who are crying out for mercy as they don’t want to shut down,” he said.
Mr Shine said that farmers nationally receive €1.6 billion in grants, it was his view that some could be placed in post offices which would ensure their viability.
“Farmers grants could be placed in their local post office as it would, in my view, help keep post offices open instead of closed,” he said.
This week a motion was signed by Independent TDs Danny Healy Rae, Mattie McGrath, Michael Collins, Michael Harty, Michael Healy Rae, Michael Lowry and Noel Grealish.
“All farmers and other sole traders, small businesses, sporting organisations and all organisations who value their local community service must take the opportunity to show their support for this motion,” Mr Shine said, adding: “they should contact their local TDs and ask them to vote in favour of the Independent TD’s motion which will be debated in the Dail”.