Rose Conway-Walsh criticises An Post depot moves in Mayo

Thank you for taking this topical issue this evening. I had hoped that it would be, and it is absolutely no disrespect to yourself, but I had hoped that Minister Patrick O'Donovan would be here to answer it. But the purpose of it is that I want to bring to your attention the unworkable proposal being put forward by An Post in Mayo, in Ballyhonas and in Eris. Firstly, the proposal to move the Sorting Depot from Barnetro and Eris to Ballina, and secondly, the proposal to move Ballyhonas Sorting Depot out of the county to Castlereagh in County Roscommon. Now, neither proposal makes economic, social or environmental sense. All of my colleagues, and indeed all of your Raktas colleagues in Mayo, are united in rejecting these proposals. So let's take Eris. Unpost proposals would mean postal workers serving the Eris area to collect mail from the newly opened Ballyhonas Depot. This change would mean that the 13 postal workers who deliver across the Eris region, which is the size of County Louth, would have to undertake a 2-hour, 100-mile plus round trip each day to collect the day's post even before starting their deliveries. Now, the Eris postal delivery area is one of the largest and most rural in the country and includes many isolated and coastal communities. The decision would have wide-ranging implications for workers, for local residents, for community life, as well as for road safety and climate emissions. I met with workers from Barna Traw and spoke to some of those impacted in Ballyhonas. The proposals from Unpost are completely unworkable, unsafe and socially damaging. It would make absolutely no sense to ask postal workers to drive more than 100 miles every day just to collect the mail before they even begin their deliveries. That is at least the two-hour round trip. Now, you simply cannot have 13 vans travelling in and out of Eris to Balanagh and back again daily. It is just not feasible. It is bad for the environment and it adds unnecessary risks for workers on already busy and neglected roads. The Ballyhonas Delivery Service Unit currently employs 13 local staff, most of whom are living within the community. The proposition to relocate this service would not only cause a significant disruption to these employees but would also have a detrimental impact on the local economy and the very fabric of the town. Should the relocation proceed, staff would be required to travel 27 kilometres each way to Castlereagh, resulting in over 10 additional vehicles commuting daily. This would significantly increase the carbon emissions, directly contradicting both on PUS and the National Climate Action Commitments. And moreover, any electric vehicles based in Castlereagh would still have to return to Ballyhonas to deliver post, adding the unnecessary mileage, energy use and operational inefficiency. Beyond the environmental concerns, this decision would lead to a loss of early and efficient postal service for Ballyhonas businesses, many of whom rely on timely deliveries to operate effectively. The knock-on effects would be felt right across the local economy from restaurants and cafes to service stations and shops, all of which depend on daily trade generated by local employment. And the local Ballyhonas, as in the case of the Ares Chamber of Commerce as well, are absolutely against these moves that make no sense whatsoever economically or socially. The Ballyhonas delivery service unit is a purpose-built facility and relocating it would send a deeply discouraging message to rural towns already struggling to retain essential services. Ballyhonas has already lost two banks and a courthouse contributing to the erosion of local businesses and community activity. Thank you very much. Thank you, Ciarán. I welcome, obviously, the opportunity to outline the position of this matter today on behalf of Minister O'Donovan. O'Donovan, Unpust, is a commercial state company with a mandate to act commercially. And as such, day-to-day operational matters, including decisions in relation to the size, distribution and future network, are matters for the Board and the management of the company, and not ones which the Minister, O'Donogh, have a statutory function. However, the Ministers and the Government are very aware of the impact that decisions relating to changes in Unpust's operation can have on community and individuals, both in rural and in urban areas. Unpust has advised that the suggested move of the Unpust delivery operation from Arnitra Delivery Office, not Post Office, to Ballina in quarter two of next year is currently under consideration. Unpust's note, it should be stressed that the move of the Delivery Office is still being considered locally and no formal decision on the move has been made at this stage. As noted, this is a matter for the company and as no decision has been made, it would not be appropriate for the Government as a shareholder to comment on our prejudice decisions, which are for the Board and management of Unpust to consider. Unpust's state, it is worth noting that it mails delivery facility in Ballina, which was recently visited by Minister O'Donogh, represents an investment in local infrastructure and planning for the future of just over £2 million. This is a significant investment in the area and is in line with the National Transformation Plan the company agreed with the Communication Workers' Union. Unpust advises me that it can confirm outline plans to amalgamate its mails operations in Ballihawness and Castlereagh as part of Unpust's ongoing investment in and planning for the future of the mails infrastructure in the region. Unpust further advises that in all 47 staff, 12 from Ballihawness and 35 from Castlereagh will jointly work in Unpust's current delivery office in the Castlereagh Business Park. Unpust states that it is likely that the staff complement of the newly unified base will increase as a result of the merger. Unpust advised that the move is likely to take place in the second quarter of 2026. Unpust notes all postal staff begin and end their working day in Castlereagh while conducting their local deliveries throughout as normal. Unpust states that the site is also the base for 20 of Unpust's rapidly growing electrical vehicle fleet part of the largest EV fleet in the country and the site has been fitted out for further EV post vans to be pressed into service throughout the north-west. Unpust further advises that both cases represent an opportunity to plan and organise this important piece of local infrastructure to reflect the changing nature of its business including the huge growth of parcels and the rise of e-commerce and home shopping. Unpust notes that both potential moves are part of the National Transformation Plan agreed with the Communication Workers Union. The Government is committed to a sustainable Unpust and post office network as a key component of economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. The Programme for Government states that the Government will continue to provide the 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 is to be allocated for supporting the network subject to all legal requirements being satisfied. An amount of £10 million per annum is currently being provided over a three-year fixed term from 23 to 25 to Unpust. Unpust then disperses this funding across the post office network with all contractor post offices benefiting from government funding with the objective of securing instability of the network. The funding has been paid monthly for each of a 12-month period. To date, over £25 million has been claimed by Unpust for the network. The current funding provides the time and space for Unpust to accelerate the transformation and commercialisation of the network to ensure relevant viability in network delivery. Unpust has, over the last number of years, been transforming its business by delivering new products and new formats in the way it operates. This includes, among other things, diversifying the growing of financial services products it provides for individuals and SMEs. Unpust is also providing agency banking services. Thank you. Minister, your response is really, really, really disappointing. And this is going to be fought by all public representatives across the board. It completely ignores people in rural Ireland and towns in rural Ireland. This is the wrong thing to do. And copying out like that Unpust is separate and it's a commercial entity. But it's been funded by government. There has to be an influence there that says this goes against everything. There's a whole social dimension here that Unpust and you, as the government, seem to be ignoring. The rural postal services are not just about delivering letters and parcels. They're also about keeping people connected and supported. Our postal workers are at the very heart of our communities. Many elderly people and those living alone know the drivers by name and they often look out for each other. For some, that visit from the postman or the postwoman might be the only human contact they have for the day. This represents yet another example of our vital services being stripped away from our rural communities. Locally, people rely on Barna Trow and on Ballyhonas depots to collect urgent posts, such as passports or exam papers, from schools. That access would be lost if everything had to go out to Ballyhonas or to go to Castle Rhee. And it's not acceptable. So I'm also calling on the union to stand up, the postal workers union, to stand up against these moves. We need common sense to prevail here. This plan is bad for workers, it's bad for communities, and it's bad for rural Ireland. It makes no sense whatsoever to have somebody, to have postal workers travelling over a hundred mile round trip on bad and dangerous roads to then come back and deliver the post. It is just bonkers. It is the most ridiculous idea that you have come up with yet. I really, really can't, I just can't accept that anybody would sit down and do this plan. And the removal of more services, as I said, after two banks and a courthouse being taken from Ballyhonas, the removal of yet another public service from there. Absolutely. It is disrespectful to these areas. And it makes no economic sense and no sense on any level, Minister. As I indicated earlier to the Deputy, and I repeat again, decisions in relation to post offices and operational matters are a matter for Unpust and not a matter in which the Minister has any statutory function. The Deputy will appreciate, I hope, that the Minister cannot intervene in such matters which we as the Oireachtas have given Unpust the statutory responsibility to manage. Unpust has an independent board. It has a clear mandate. I trust, therefore, that the Deputy understands that it would be inappropriate for me or the Minister to comment further on operational matters relating to proposals for specific post and delivery offices. Unpust plays, obviously, an important role in serving the needs of business and domestic customers and communities. And this is to the forefront of Unpust's mandate. The Board and Management are doing all they can to maintain the company's sustainability and its relevance to customers into the future. Ministers O'Donovan and Minister McConnell-Ougue, their officials and Cabinet colleagues are working, obviously, to support the company to that end. The Government is committed to a sustainable Unpust and a 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 the nationwide network of post offices with the funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities. The Department of Culture, Communications and Sports is working to deliver on this and an enhanced amount of over £15 million per annum is to be allocated for supporting their network subject to Government approval. Thank you. The next topical issue is the government's