The government is being urged to urgently protect community post offices in the wake of further warnings from the Irish Postmasters’ Union that more closures are inevitable in Kildare unless state intervention is put in place. Senator Fiona O’Loughlin used her voice at Oireachtas level to ensure that Kildare keeps it’s 25 remaining post offices and Laois keeps it’s 14. According to a recent review the IPU says that financial support of up to €17 million is required to secure the future of post offices nationwide. The report also estimates that a significant proportion of the network will become loss-making with an average loss of €19,181 per post office.
In 2018 Senator O’Loughlin raised concerns over the closure of Moone, Narraghmore and Donadea Post Offices, which was described as devastating news for the three Kildare communities at the time. The three in Kildare were closed during the national consolidation programme under the last government that followed on from the agreement between An Post and the Irish Post Masters Union when a number of postmasters sought to exit the business.
“The post office is at the heart of local communities both rural and urban providing vital services to its customers,” she said.
“I will raise concerns over the threat of more post office closures in Kildare especially in light of the recent Bank of Ireland branch closures including Monasterevin and Kilcullen. 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.”