€30 million to Support a Sustainable, Nationwide Post Office Network
June 01, 2022
Great to see crucial support for over 900 post offices across the country with the announcement of Minister Eamonn Ryan & Minister Hildegarde Naughton of €30 million to support a sustainable, nationwide post office network.
This is strong support for our post office network and staff across the region. It’s a boost for communities and postmasters working in our towns and villages that provide essential banking & post services.
This government investment shows the commitment to ‘Our Rural Future’ strategy.
With the increase in online shopping, there is more activity in the parcel sections of An Post however the lockdown did have a huge impact on counter services where people can do banking, pay bills, collect pensions, buy cards and vouchers in their local post office. Post-masters usually manage the post office as part of a shop or supermarket.
Post Offices can be the heart of many communities and this funding of €10 million each year for 3 years will allow new initiatives to be trialled and added to existing services. Opportunities to support remote working in regional areas by ensuring people, no matter where they live, will have access to banking services.
In March 2021, a new banking partnership between Bank of Ireland (BOI) and An Post allows all BOI customers to use withdrawal and lodgment services in post offices.
And of course to Shop Local, more people spending in the local town means more new shops and services springing up to meet demand. The post office brings footfall to our town & villages and millions collected each week in post-offices through the Department of Social Protection can be spent locally in the area.
I know so many older people enjoyed the trip to their local post office to collect their pension, meeting friends and going to do shopping, the pandemic had an impact however slowly things are coming back to normal again.
I want to thank our Minister from the West Hildegarde Naughton TD for delivering funding for this sector & to acknowledge the work of Senator Michéal Carrigy who is also a family postmaster in Longford and with strong connections to Ballinasloe area through his wife Una Boland.
