Over €30m funding for post offices welcomed in Offaly

There has been a very positive reaction to the announcement that €10m per annum is to be provided over a three year period to An Post to support the Post Office network.

Postmaster at Cloghan Post Office Aiden Healy said the announcement of funding was good news all around. "Postmasters have been struggling for ages and been neglected. We're heading in the right direction with this funding."

According to Mr Healy, the post office is the hub of the community and it's a hugely important service for the elder population. "The older generation still come in, they like to get money into hand. Friday in here is great. They're all jovial."

"We've loads of opportunities to expand, to broaden our services." Mr Healy said that they have had to advertise their billpay and banking services to keep their heads above water.

"The funding will keep us afloat. We do long hours so something like this makes it all worthwhile. It will keep smaller villages like Cloghan going."

Over in nearby Banagher Post Office, Aileen Corrigan said the announcement is very positive. "It's good to know the government wants to keep the post office network going. There's been such a decline in past years."

Offaly Minister Pippa Hackett also welcomed the funding, saying that it is in line with the Programme for Government and with our Town Centre First and Rural development policies.

"As a rural representative, I see it as vital that our Post Offices are recognised as valuable parts of the social fabric in towns and villages as well as acknowledgement of the central and trusted role played by postmasters in our communities.”

The funding will support the existing network of around 900 Post Offices and will provide the necessary time for new commercial initiatives and services to develop. The aim is to safeguard the most vulnerable post offices and to protect access to services across the country.

According to former Minister Denis Naughton, the allocation of €30m in once off-funding over three years to the post office network is welcome but ignores the need for a long-term sustainability strategy that is key for postmasters/mistresses to decide if they will continue to keep the doors open.

Minister Hildegarde Naughton, who has special responsibility for Postal Matters, said: “Post offices play a central role to both society as a whole and to Government through the provision of high-quality public services across the country. Today’s announcement is a first-time move in the history of Government, where we are now providing direct financial support to postmasters who operate much of our network.”

“A modernised post office network will provide a better and wider range of community banking and e-commerce services for citizens and businesses. Through this measure we are underlining our commitment to a sustainable, nationwide post office network,” she said.

The Irish Postmaster’s Union (IPU) said that the government funding recognises the social value of post offices.

Seán Martin, President of the Irish Postmasters Union said: “The Post Office Network is the lifeblood of our towns and villages and a much-trusted focal point of our communities. The Network continues to be Ireland’s largest retail and face-to-face service network at the heart of over 900 communities serving approximately 1.3 million customers each week. Our role in supporting communities was never more evident than during the recent pandemic when we were one of the few government services to remain open throughout.”

“The Post Office network is a highly trusted service and a national asset which Postmasters want to grow and develop. We have always been willing to work with new services and we have demonstrated our flexibility time and again in responding to new challenges."