Rabbitte: Post office 'faces the need to change'
Post offices will be allowed to "wither on the vine" unless the Government adopts an action plan to keep them open and vibrant, it has been claimed.
The claim comes from thhe Irish Post Masters Union, which is making a presentation to the Oireachtas Communications Committee this morning.
The postmasters say that despite awarding the contract for social welfare payments to An Post, the Government is driving people to use their bank accounts to receive benefits.
Responding to reports that Fine Gael TDs were pushing him to do more about the issue, the Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte says he's very aware of the challenges facing post offices.
"We have arrested the decline somewhat but there's no doubt that with a 25% drop in mail volumes due to technology in particular - the post office does face challenges and faces the need to change," he said.
"I'm very happy that we have managed to put in some new business lines over the years in terms of straightforward things like bill payment, passport applications, TV licences, garde fines (and) gun licences, if you're a shooting man."
