A Clare Sinn Féin general election candidate is calling on the county’s Oireachtas members to withdraw their support for the government if it doesn’t back rural post offices.
It comes as Fianna Fáil has labelled the confirmation by An Post that 159 branches will close down as step too far for rural Ireland.
An Post has finally confirmed details of what it calls a consolidation of its network, which will see 159 branches close including six in Clare.
But in its statement on the matter, it says this will see investment and better services and products in the remaining branches, while no community will be more than 15km from a post office.
As was already known, offices in Cree, Cooraclare, Doonbeg, Lissycasey, Kilfenora and Craggagh-Fanore are slated to close, as part of a broader move which some say will lead rural Ireland to wither away.
Public meetings are being held in Fanore tomorrow night, and in Kilfenra on Friday, and ahead of those Clare Sinn Féin general election candidate Noeleen Moran wants Clare’s TDs to act strongly on this matter:
But the CEO of An Post is insisting their remaining offices are set to benefit from increased services and better investment.
David McRedmond has been defending the consolidation plan:
Fianna Fáil, meanwhile, says rural Ireland has been disproportionately targeted – with none of the 159 closures in Dublin.
Clare TD Timmy Dooley is the party communications spokesperson and says people here are taking little comfort in An Post’s words.
