Danny Healy-Rae warns 20% cut will decimate rural post offices
Danny Healy-Rae addressed proposed 20% cuts to state payments to post offices and warned they would signal the end of many rural post offices. He opposed the cut, called for direct government intervention and a PSO allocation of 17 million to keep the post office network intact, and began by expressing sympathy for families after a local tragedy.
Condolences and local tragedy
Healy-Rae opened by sympathising with the families of two young boys killed locally and expressed sympathy for their parents, siblings and wider families. He also hoped that a boy who was very hot would recover, stressing the human cost of local events while the House debated post office matters.
Funding threat to post offices
He warned that a reported 20% cut in state payments to post offices would signal the end of many offices. Healy-Rae urged direct government intervention and urged a PSO (public service obligation) allocation of 17 million to ensure the post office network stays intact.
Closures, services and solutions
He highlighted that 281 post offices have closed in the last decade and said 25 of the 26 counties have been affected. He argued post offices only want more work and listed possible services they could provide - motor tax, licence renewals, registrations, identification and community information - to bolster viability.
Rural infrastructure and local schemes
He criticised past closures when Labour was in power, noting 218 closures between 2011 and 2016, and flagged broader rural neglect. He referenced local improvement schemes and said Kerry received funding for only 10 roads from an application list of 697, warning that rural Ireland and island communities are being left behind and urging that existing post offices be preserved.
Support for regional motion
He commended a regional group for bringing forward the motion on post offices and argued it is far easier to keep services than to try to restore them once lost. He concluded by insisting no more post offices should be allowed to close and reiterated the need for immediate government action.
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First of all, I want to sympathise with the families of two young boys who were killed in our county yesterday evening and last night. My thoughts go out to the families and to the parents and to their sisters and brothers and the families that are left behind. Families whose lives will never again be the same. May God give them the strength to carry on and continue with their lives in the best way that they can. It only brings us, it reminds us of what true loss is and what real loss is and while we're here today talking about post offices, things like this are a terrible, terrible infliction on our families and again I sympathise with all the families and the little boy that's very hot, we hope that he gets better and recovers. Cathaoirleach, we're being told now that there's going to be a 20% cut in state payments to post offices and that will signal the end of many. POs only ever wanted more work. We need more, we need government, direct government intervention now, a PSO of 17 million to keep, to ensure that our post office network stays intact. 281 have been closed in the last decade. In 25 of the 26 counties, we needn't name the counties that weren't affected. It's ironic to hear Labour here talking today, regretting the clause of the post offices. When they were in power from 2011 to 2016, they closed 218 of them. All the post offices want is more work. They could deal with motor text, license renewals, registrations, identification, community information. When the country was broke Cathaoirleach and when we had nothing, we had post offices, guard stations, guard stations, GPs in every parish. And we had Deputy Griffin talking about local improvement schemes for rural roads. We only got enough money for 10 roads in Kerry this year. Out of an application list of 697. That's what we got. Rural Island is being left behind and I don't want any more post offices closed. And I applaud the regional group for bringing forward this motion as we did back in time. But we're letting what we have go, Chairman. And it's way easier to keep something than to let it go and try and bring it back again. And this is what will happen to the post offices. Thanks for you.
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