Postal Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-21
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Frankie Feighan (FG), Sligo-Leitrim

I welcome the opportunity to outline the position on this matter today. As An Post is a commercial State company with a mandate to act commercially, day-to-day operational matters, including decisions on the size, distribution and future of the network, are matters for the board and the management of the company and not ones in which either the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, or the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, has a statutory function. The Ministers are very aware of the impact that decisions relating to changes in An Post operations have on communities and individuals in both rural and urban areas. As this is a matter for the company, it would be inappropriate for the Government, as shareholder, to comment on or prejudice decisions which are for the board and management of An Post to consider.
Notwithstanding this is an operational matter, officials have engaged with the company. An Post has advised in the case of Harmonstown, the move is very much in the future and there is much to be considered before then. This includes which facilities in the local area will be utilised for undelivered mail. An Post has advised it is in consultation with its staff and unions on the details of the move.
An Post has noted it is consolidating its national network of local sorting offices, also known as delivery service units. An Post advises it needs larger and purpose-fitted premises to manage increased parcel volumes. An Post further advises it is hiring 300 additional postmen and postwomen across the country, some of whom will be working in this area, to manage the massive growth in volumes.
The Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. The programme for Government states that the Government will continue to provide a nationwide network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities. The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport is working to deliver on this and an enhanced amount of €15 million per annum has been allocated for supporting the network, subject to all legal requirements being satisfied.
In line with the programme for Government, the funding will support the stability and sustainability of the nationwide network of post offices, protecting and nurturing a commercially focused post office network. It will also support access for citizens to the key social benefits of the post office network and help citizens to access services effectively and equitably.
The Government also agreed the principles on which the funding model will operate, which include: maintaining access to the network across urban and rural Ireland, ensuring no community is left behind; aligning individual funding with criteria, including the degree of isolation and the sustainability of each post office; ensuring a minimum revenue threshold for post offices; and recognising offices of cultural or geographic significance, such as those on inhabited islands or in Gaeltacht areas. Over the past couple of years, An Post has been transforming its business by delivering new products and new formats in the way it operates. This includes, among other things, diversifying and growing the financial services products it provides for individuals and SMEs. An Post is also providing agency banking services.
The Deputy has outlined his concerns and wants the Minister to intervene. I will bring those concerns back to the Minister. I thank him for his contribution.

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Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:58+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-21