There has been widespread outrage at both local and national level over the closure of 159 rural post offices, as was announced on Tuesday this week.
Laois has been hit with two post office closures, one in Ballybrittas and another Ballinakill.
Laois TD Brian Stanley has said that the closure of the post offices will have a ‘devastating effect’ on the community, while TD for South-Kildare Fiona O’Loughlin said the these services are, ‘vital to rural towns’.
“The list of 159 post offices announced to close today by An Post will have a dreadful impact on the communities in Laois/Offaly that will be directly affected, and is also yet another blow, among many to rural communities,” said Deputy Stanley.
He added: “Rural Ireland is losing jobs and losing basic services and much of rural Ireland is without basic modern communications with the National Broadband Plan is in a mess. These 159 closures will have a detrimental impact.”
“Whilst we understand this is a voluntary retirement scheme backed by the Irish Postmasters Union, the Government has shown no interest in keeping our post office network alive and viable.
The Government & An Post should not be using retirement of Postmasters to close Post Offices by stealth.”
“Closing post offices may suit short term ends but at the expense of a long term vision. This government is determined to strip rural Ireland of vital services,” he added.
‘Fragmentation of a rural community’
Deputy O’Loughlin is deeply concerned over yet another closure of the post offices in Laois. She stated: “Our Post Office network must be valued for the role it plays in Irish life and the essential service it provides. The services are vital to rural towns and to people living in rural areas.”
“While these closures across the country are being made in consultation with the owners, this is yet again a major blow to rural communities. People living in the Ballybrittas area will now have to travel further to access a post office and have lost another service to the area
“Rural Ireland has faced huge changes and challenges in the last few years. Loss of Garda stations, closure of bank branches, reductions in local bus services all of which result in the fragmentation of a rural community,” she said.
The deputy concluded, “In practice, many small towns and villages across Ireland have lost both their post office and bank branches in the last few years. The government must work with all stakeholders in the postal service to protect and develop the Post Office network so it can maintain its important position in Irish life.”
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