Councillors in Kerry have unanimously backed a call to declare the post office network “a national asset” .
A six-point plan by the Irish Postmasters’ Union to sustain the network was presented at the September meeting of Kerry County Council.
The mayor of Kerry, Cllr Pat McCarthy, called on councillors to spend more, and pay more of their bills, at their post offices. Spending €10 a week in the shops attached to post offices would make an enormous difference, he said. Electronic payment systems needed to be put in place in all post offices to allow full banking facilities, he said.
“Rural post offices are the foundation stones of rural communities,” Cllr Brendan Cronin said.
The consequences of the closure of rural Garda stations, creameries and post offices had caused terrible isolation, he said.
Mr McCarthy said a question mark arose about a possible breach of European law if the network was run down.
“I want you to ask yourself, how many of my bills do I pay through the post office. Most post offices survive by having a small shop, but how many of us spend even €5 to €10 a week in these shops? Were we to do that it would make an enormous difference.”