Post offices in some small towns and villages are closing down because nobody is interested in running them.
A spokesperson for An Post said that in some instances another post office was located within a few miles of the offices concerned and, as the salary of a postmaster/postmistress reflected the level of business, running a rural post office was no longer as attractive a career for many people.
In the past number of months An Post has placed advertisements seeking applications from persons interested in taking over the running of post offices in 10 locations. More than half the positions are still vacant.
In two instances, at Ballyvourney, Co Cork, and Derrylane, Co Cavan, the post offices have closed after no applications were received despite two rounds of press advertising. Applicants are still being sought to take over post offices in Courtmacsherry, Co Cork; Buckode, Co Sligo; Killerig Cross, Co Carlow; and Creighanroe, near Dundalk.
"There is an assumption commonly made that people support their local post office, but we have found this is not the case. People often go once a week to their nearest large town and use the post office there," said An Post's press officer, Ms Anna McHugh.
She said there were 1,900 post offices in the Republic, 900 of which conducted just 4 per cent of all post office business. "People grow up and move away, and we are left with an ageing population in rural areas. Business in the local post office dwindles, especially where there are three or four within a few miles. There just isn't the business there," she said.
"We have advertised for people to run post offices in areas where the postmistress might wish to retire and we just got no applications. These are in areas where the population has dwindled," Ms McHugh added. "We are not talking about leaving an area without a post office. One might close but there could be another one within a few miles."
She said new post offices were continuing to open in centres of growth.