Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath calls on Deputy Jackie Cahill to act on post office closures

Independent TD for Tipperary Mattie McGrath has called on local Fianna Fail Dail colleague Jackie Cahill and the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party to intervene on plans by An Post to close up to eight post offices in rural parts of Tipperary. 
 
"While I fully understand and recognise the tremendous service and dedication of all post-mistresses and post-masters throughout their years of service to their individual communities and who are indeed entitled to retire, we need to see a plan put in place," he said.

Deputy McGrath said that this must facilitate a location where alternative people and / or businesses can continue to administer the needs of many people in rural communities who, on a daily basis, use their local post pffice as an area to connect, receive payments, pay certain bills and as a point of social interaction.
 
"I am calling on Fianna Fáil to now, use their influence as a prop-up for what is a minority Government, to call on Fine Gael and the supporters of Government to ensure that there will be no rural community left without a postal office," said Deputy McGrath.
 
He said that though a Rural Independent Groupings Dáil motion was unanimously supported by members of the Dáil, they had seen no action whatsoever by the Government to implement a robust extension of services to ensure the viability of the post office network.      
 
"It is a sad indictment of this Government, and those who support them at parliamentary level, that they continue to fail to recognise and realise that their ongoing policies continue to hit those who are most vulnerable in our rural communities, many of whom have built our society," he said.

"Ultimately, those who support this Government, in whatever role and who claim to champion the cause of rural Ireland need to look deeply into their conscience,” said Deputy McGrath.