Varadkar under fire over rural Ireland’s neglect

Post offices are closing because people have bank cards and internet, while garda stations are closing because they were built before there was a fleet of garda cars, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

Mr Varadkar, addressing the Seanad for the first time since becoming Taoiseach, came under fire from Opposition senators about what they described was the neglect of rural Ireland.

Among the issues raised by senators was the closures of Garda stations and post offices in small rural towns and villages but Mr Varadkar said such entities must have a customer base to survive.