Post offices’ future - A system worth saving

The Irish Postmasters’ Union claimed yesterday savings of over €50m could be made by expanding the services offered in post offices.

If that can be achieved, the proposal must be considered seriously because anything that might sustain a vital social service like our local post offices is welcome.

It may seem an anachronism to champion small, local offices dedicated to paperwork at a moment when communications of all kinds are moving online, but that would be to miss the social aspect of post offices, urban and rural. The evolution of digital communications can make a person feel isolated, more removed from the most natural and cheering interaction — meeting neighbours and friends to sort out the world’s problems. For that reason alone, every effort should be made to sustain our system of post offices.