The Waterford-based President of the Irish Postmasters Union has said post offices are a critical piece of State infrastructure and vitally important to the survival of local communities.
Sean Martin, who is a postmaster in Tramore, says the post office network represent "value for money" for the Government and should be given extra services to ensure their survival.
Becoming a 'one stop shop' for Government forms and being the vehicle for which people receive their PUP payments, are just some of the ways post offices should be further utilised by Government, he said.
And he warned that unless urgent action is taken within weeks, the month of July will see "unrestrained closures" of more post offices across the country after a year in which they have played a vital part in keeping the economy on track.
In a statement released this morning (Monday), the IPU - which represents 875 postmasters around the country - said it has written to its members to attend emergency local meetings during June to discuss all options, including a members' ballot on a work stoppage.
The union's General Secretary, Ned O'Hara, said postmaster-operated offices face a major challenge from July 1, as an average fall in payment rates of 20%, takes effect.
"This is against the backdrop of rising viability pressure in recent years, which COVID-19 has further compounded," said Ned O'Hara.
"The difficulty is also related to the delay in additional Government services promised in 2018, but only now being seriously examined."
“This uncertainly also puts in jeopardy plans to maintain Bank of Ireland branch services through Post Offices.”
A report commissioned by the IPU from business advisors Grant Thornton, and published last September, warned of ‘unrestrained Post Office closures’ from July 2021.
Grant Thornton’s analysis recommended an annual Public Service Obligation (PSO) of €17million, which it said would represent strong overall value for money for the State.
Speaking to Damien Tiernan on Deise Today this morning, IPU President Sean Martin from Tramore said postmasters had put their own and their families health at risk during the pandemic by continuing to operate when the vast majority of other public services had closed down.
Postmasters, he added, were not paid a salary but by transaction and it was hugely important that Government directed more services their way at this stage.
He said evidence had proven that money which was handed out locally through post offices, was largely spent locally and therefore, post offices were vitally important to communities and their economic survival.
"We want to continue to serve our community," he told Damien Tiernan.
"What we're saying to the Government is invest in the post office network, we are value for money."
You can listen back to Sean Martin's interview by clicking below here...
You can listen back to the full Deise Today from this morning meanwhile, by clicking below here...
