Value of rural post offices ‘outweighs stamp sales’

Postmasters and community groups have called for a monetary value to be put on the social benefit of rural and isolated post offices to help them survive.

Age Action, Irish Rural Link and the union repressing postmasters all believe the important social role post offices play in isolated communities should also be taken into account when assessing the amount of money they make.

A report into the future of the country’s 1,300 post offices authored by entrepreneur Bobby Kerr suggests that post offices will have to diversify, add services or co-locate with other businesses to stay afloat.