FOR many Limerick communities, the post office network is the last tangible expression of the State in their daily lives.
So said Sinn Féin Senator Joanne Collins in the Seanad as she highlighted stark figures across the country with 257 closures in the last 10 years, with Limerick losing 12 post offices in this period.
“The local post office is not just a place to send a parcel or buy a stamp. It is where people collect their pensions, access social welfare, use banking services, and stay connected to government departments,” Senator Collins told the Upper House of the Oireachtas.
“For many it is also a place of routine and of human contact. Our post offices are not just businesses; they are public services, and they must be supported as such.
“Yet, we are watching the system unravel in front of our eyes. postmasters have warned that 40 per cent of post offices could close unless the government steps up with meaningful investment.”
The Sinn Féin senator hit out that the current post office contract model “is not fit for purpose. Long-serving postmasters are retiring, but new entrants are not coming forward. We are at a tipping point.”
“If we don’t act now, we will see the network continue to shrink and with each closure, a little more of rural and local Ireland disappears.
“The damage to social cohesion, local economies, and community identity will be profound and long-lasting. The State has failed to grasp the urgency of the situation, and communities are paying the price.”
Sinn Féin is now calling for a new approach with a new public service mandate for post offices, backed by sustainable funding.
“We need strategic investment to ensure long-term viability and a modernised contract model that recognises the real value postmasters bring to their communities. The services provided by the post office network need to be expanded, not striped away,” Senator Collins said.
The County Limerick politician commended Irish Postmasters’ Union president Seán Martin and secretary general Sandra Tormey for their advocacy and leadership, adding “the government cannot continue to ignore the crisis in our post office network. Every time a post office closes, the State becomes more distant from the people and communities slowly become invisible to official Ireland”.
“Let’s not let another 257 post offices close. Let’s protect our post offices and build a stronger, more connected future for our communities.”
