The Communications Minister is being called on to urgently intervene with An Post to prevent the loss of six Post Offices in communities across Clare, and over a hundred more across the country.
Kifenora and Cooraclare confirmed earlier this week that they had accepted redundancy offers and now, a further four this county have been confirmed among those set to close their doors.
Time ran out last Tuesday for the 14 post offices in Clare to indicate whether they would accept redundancy packages offered in April by An Post, or continue on with their current contract.
Six post offices here are now closing, all of them in West and North Clare.
Cooraclare, Kilfenora, Cree, Doonbeg, Lisseycasey and Craggagh, Fanore have been confirmed among a list of over a hundred post offices across the country set to close.
Local historian in the Fanore area, Joe Queally says it’s not just about closing down Post Offices, it’s signalling the end of an era.
A spokesperson for An Post has told Clare FM that the company needs time to assess applications and is looking at where exits can be facilitated and how their transactions might be consolidated into another local office.
An Post has pledged to ensure that communities of 500 people or more will have a post office, and that everyone living in rural Ireland will be within 15 kilometres of at least one post office.
Clare’s Fianna Fáil TD, Timmy Dooley, who is his party’s Communications Spokesperson, has described the closures as an “assault on rural Ireland”.
He’s calling on the Communications Minister to urgently intervene and hold discussions with An Post.
There’s no indication yet on when exactly the six post offices in Clare will close.
