Areas in rural Cork and Kerry left facing 20km-plus round trips

The Irish Postmasters’ Union has demanded a long-term commitment that social welfare payments will continue to be transacted through post offices, and has also called for a timeline for new services.

The Irish Postmasters’ Union is to meet Communications Minister Denis Naughten on Thursday to demand the Government invest more in the postal network.

Paddy O’Shea, who has been running a post office for the last 37 years in East Cork, believes he will be out of business in three to five years.

The union representing the country’s postmasters has called on An Post to support new services and innovations across its network in a bid to save post offices across the country.

The Government is set to come under intense political pressure from postmasters disgruntled at lack of progress in implementing a plan to revitalise and modernise their businesses.

Welfare chiefs will shut down post offices by pushing social welfare recipients to use banks instead, postmasters have warned.

The Irish Postmasters’ Union has decided not to run its planned candidates in the upcoming general election.

Small rural post offices could receive up to €20,000 a year in government subsidies to stay alive.

Councillors in Co Kerry have unanimously backed a call to declare the post office network a national asset.

Many rural communities are battling to stay positive and promote new initiatives, writes Niall Garvey. 

I write in support of the postmasters’ recent appeal to the Social Protection Minister Joan Burton TD to withdraw new Social Protection forms — which recommend payment through banks and discourage use of the post office — and that the forms be reissued in their previous format, with the post office as the first option listed, and where no recommendation is made.

Postmasters will campaign for people to vote against the Government unless a six-point plan to save post offices is adopted.

A new banking service could be provided through an alliance between An Post and credit unions.

Postmasters will today ask the Government to suspend the planned migration of welfare payments from cash to electronic transfer until the future of post offices is clearly laid out.

Cosying up to corporates or multinationals is generally never in the citizens’ interests.

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte has said the Government is “absolutely committed” to maintaining the post office network but stressed that no promise could be made that the existing number of outlets could be retained.

A “do-or-die’’ campaign has been launched in Kerry to save the county’s 58 rural post offices.

The Irish Postmasters’ Union campaign demanding that the Government produce an action plan to ensure the sustainability of the Post Office network will continue tonight with a public rally in Co Clare.

If the Government moves to electronic payments as part of its eCommerce strategy, it could close large swathes of the country’s post offices, according to a new report.

Postmasters have asked ComReg to intervene to protect phone customers’ ability to receive paper bills.

Postmasters have warned the future of 400 small post offices remains under threat, despite the announcement An Post is poised to retain a contract worth €58m per annum to handle social welfare payments.

Four hundred post offices could be put out of business if the Government moves social welfare payments to a purely electronic system, it has been warned.

Failure to renew An Post’s contract for social welfare payments in the coming weeks could lead to the immediate closure of 400 post offices and the loss of hundreds of jobs.

Post offices could be transformed into mini Garda bureaux under proposals to save the country’s struggling network.

Post offices could be transformed into mini garda bureaux under new proposals to save the country’s struggling network.

Savings of €53m could be made for taxpayers by handing over additional services such as motor tax and household charge levies, among others, to post offices.

An Post has defended the closure of rural post offices, despite widespread criticism over the lack of consultation with local communities.

Tens of thousands of homeowners entitled to waivers for the household charge face fines if they fail to register for the levy despite being exempt from it.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has defended the Government’s handling of the introduction of the household charge, despite confusion among the public over payment methods.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has ruled out an extension to the registration deadline for the household charge.

Post offices should be placed at the centre of the Government’s plans to provide bank accounts to people who have no access to the banking system, according to the Irish Postmasters’ Union.

UP TO half of the country’s 1,100 post offices will be forced to close if An Post loses the contract for making social welfare payments, the Irish Postmasters’ Union has said.

Postmasters have called on the Government to give them a major role in a reformed banking sector.

The Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) has today criticised ESB Electric Ireland’s requirement that customers use direct debits and e-statements in order to avail of the discounts that were announced yesterday.

THE future of the post office network depends on the retention of social welfare payments at all outlets, postmasters warned yesterday.

The Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) has called for Government action to retain social welfare payments at post offices in a bid to prevent the closure of further offices throughout the country.

MORE than 100 post offices could shut during this year if An Post continues closing branches at the same rate as it did in 2007, postmasters warned yesterday.

POST offices which are not commercially viable but are socially essential to help prevent rural isolation should receive a Government payment to guarantee their survival, according to the Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU).

AN POST yesterday launched two new 48c stamps — just five days before postal rates rise 7c to 55c.

Progress has been made in talks with strike-threat postmasters, it emerged tonight.

Postal workers who planned to march on the Dáil have shelved their protest to allow time for further talks with government, it was announced today.

ANY post office closure is deeply disappointing, especially to the local community, but when hundreds are closing across rural Ireland something has to be radically wrong.

THE pre-Christmas excitement surrounding Kilkenny on one of the year’s busiest shopping days was shattered in cruel and brutal fashion with the killing of local postmaster Alan Cunniffe, a single man in his 30s, seconds after an armed robbery yesterday afternoon.

AFTER 20 years as postmistress in the north Cork village of Lombardstown, Catherine Anne Healy is on the verge of quitting, ending a family link with postal services in the area which reaches back across three generations.

POSTMASTERS and mistresses yesterday claimed An Post security measures at post offices left them vulnerable to robbery and violence.

THE Government has been blamed for the closure of more than 400 post offices over the last five years.