‘Closures will inflict greater rural isolation’
There has been widespread criticism about the threat of post office closures from public figures across the political spectrum in the North West.
Responding to the potential closure of Post Offices in Cliffoney, Gurteen, Dromard, Monasteraden and Ballinfull as part of a voluntary retirement scheme, Sinn Féin Councillor Chris MacManus said that “these potential closures and their loss of services will only inflict greater isolation on rural communities.”
Councillor MacManus was speaking after attending a public meeting in Cliffoney aimed at preventing the closure of local post services in the north Sligo village.
Cllr MacManus said:“News of the possible closure of at least five post offices in County Sligo has rightly drawn the anger of many living in rural communities across the area.
“That An Post are seeking to close more post offices in County Sligo than in County Dublin, which has twenty times the population, speaks volumes. Neither the government or
An Post have any coherent strategy or commitment to rural Ireland.
“They need to get their heads around the critical fact that rural post offices are not simply businesses, but an integral part of rural communities.
“Reform of our post offices has been neglected for a number of years and both An Post and the Govern- ment Department need to take positive action. The post office network needs reform.
“Sinn Féin and others have put forward alternatives. Local government services can easily be provided through the post office network, such as looking at providing motor tax renewal, small scale banking, and creating digital hubs of the network in the absence of the ever slow roll out of the National Broadband Plan.
“Any rural dweller will testify to the economic and social importance of a post office in the community. Garda stations, schools, and other services are gone, so keeping the post office network intact is more important than ever, especially in isolated communities.
“Minister for Communications Denis Naughten needs to decide whether rural Ireland matters, and he needs to take a hands-on approach.
“There has been a series of reports on the future of our post offices over recent years and there are models in other States where a viable and vibrant post office network is in place.”
“Rural Ireland cannot take any more cuts to services, of which postal services are a vital part,” he said.
He stressed that people need to come together now to fight for the future of post offices in rural areas. Meanwhile Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Rural and Community Development Deputy Martin Kenny, is calling on the minister to intervene. He said: “If the Minister is serious about reversing rural decline then he must intervene to save these post offices from closure.
“I would encourage all communities to appeal to An Post through their review mechanism which can be done in writing to review@anpost.ie or Independent Reviewer, An Post GPO, Dublin 1,” he added.