Post Office Network Crisis – Open Letter to All Councillors.
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by Tom O’Callaghan.
ThePlatform.ie – Ireland’s Solutions Resource.
Dear Councillors,
The current pandemic crisis has brought to the fore, our core values, the essence of our community, what services the state must provide when all life is stripped back to the very basics. The Post Office network has been proven to be essential to our very existence. During this lock-down, the post office network provided essential services. It was one of the few state-owned assets that kept money circulating and local economics going.
We can no longer ignore or pay lip service to the realities of the financial gravity of our 31 Clare Post Offices find themselves in. In the next 8 months, approximately 20 local offices throughout the county will face significant downward revisions of incomes that will make them unviable. I am asking you to support the Post Office motion at the November meeting of Clare County Council.
The motion is asking for the implementation of Dáil Eireann motion passed in November 2016 which sets out an action plan enabling the sustainability of the network. (Attached) (Below)
It is incumbent on the current government to implement a sustainability plan. A tight time frame for implementation is a priority.
There must be a focus on (1) new products, (2) capital investment and (3) government services for the network.
It is crucial that there is an immediate 5 year holding plan; that there will be no downward revisions of post office incomes. Otherwise, there will be no network to salvage.
Community Banking must be re-investigated and developed as a possible survival option in light of the global economic depression. This could be part of the overall recovery of small business and local communities post Covid-19.
The community and social value of the post office network, so visibly present during the pandemic, must be recognized as a separate asset to the state, must be protected by the state and must hold a separate currency for the network when tendering for business.
Respectfully Yours
Tom O’Callaghan
Independent Post Master Group
42 Upper William St. Limerick
Contact Tom at, indipostmaster@gmail.com