Community group vows to fight post office closures

A local community group has signalled its intention to fight to retain their post offices, even as the communications minister defended the slew of impending closures announced this week.

At a public meeting in Athleague, Co Roscommon, on Wednesday night Minister Denis Naughten was told that the likely closure of 160 post offices around the country — most by the end of the year — was tantamount to treason to the rural Irish economy.

An Post has already confirmed that four appeals are currently being reviewed against some of the proposed closures and that four other appeals were lodged under the independent review process.

However, the minister said An Post is not withdrawing contracts and anybody [running a post office] who wants to stay open can do so. The closures are pinpointed in areas where postmasters are retiring and under an agreement with the Postmasters’ Union.

One group that has already signalled its intention to fight the closure of a local post office is the community of Gurteen, Co Sligo.

In correspondence, the Save Gurteen Post Office Committee said the community hall there was filled to capacity last week as almost 500 local people gathered to discuss the imminent closure of the post office.

In a letter sent to the Irish Examiner and signed by a number of local people, the group said: “Gurteen is a thriving rural town with many services and well-established businesses.

The post office is at the centre of the community and the services it provides are used by many; young and older, socially isolated, businesses, etc. A strong action group formed to appeal against this decision refuse to accept that it is unviable to keep the office open and are determined to retain these essential services for their town. They have mobilised on social media, in the community and on the radio to have their voices heard and to express the concerns and dissatisfaction of the whole town and surrounding areas.

“Many local businesses have expressed deep concern and have stated that losing the post office will be devastating for the town and will result in further job losses,” the letter explained.

A similar warning over possible job losses was aired at the Athleague meeting, but An Post has maintained that the closures will strengthen the overall network and said every citizen will still have at least one post office within a 15km radius.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin communications spokesman, Brian Stanley, called on Fianna Fáil’s communications spokesman Timmy Dooley TD to clarify if the closure of rural post offices will form a key part of negotiations with Fine Gael in the upcoming budget.

Mr Stanley said there has been “tough talk” from Fianna Fáil regarding the proposed closures of the post offices, but that the party has done little to influence proceedings to this point.

“Roscommon Fianna Fáil TD Eugene Murphy has been quoted in the media as saying his party will negotiate the decision to close 159 rural post offices during the upcoming budget negotiations,” Deputy Stanley said.

“I would like his party’s spokesperson Timmy Dooley to clarify this remark. Will the closure of rural post offices be a redline issue for Fianna Fáil in the budget negotiations? Will Fianna Fáil actually make this a key plank of their negotiations?”