Tipperary communities facing post office closures watch closely Minister’s appearance before Dail committee

Eight Tipperary communities facing the loss of their post offices closely watched  events in Leinster House today (Tuesday) as the Communications Minister appeared before a Dail committee hearing examining An Post's controversial voluntary retirement deal for rural post masters.  

An Post CEO David McRedmond and MD Debbie Byrne also attended the Dail Communications Commitee hearing that Minister Denis Naughten appeared before. 

The Committee hearing took place a week after An Post announced the final list of 159 rural post offices closing under the retirement package agreed between An Post and the Irish Post Masters Union. 

The eight Tipperary communities facing the loss of their post offices under the deal are: Ballingarry, Newcastle, Clogheen, Gortnahoe, Littleton, Templetuohy, Coolbawn and Upperchurch. Save Our Post Office Action Groups have been formed in most of these communities. 

They and other groups from throughout the country are expected to protest at the closure of their local post offices at the Dail when it resumes its sittings after the summer break later this month. 

Independent TD Mattie McGrath was among the Rural Independent Group of TDs, who joined yesterday in condemning An Post's decision not to renew the post office service contracts in villages where a post master or post mistress takes up the voluntary retirement package. 

He described the An Post/IPU voluntary retirement scheme as a "sneaky, dirty deal" and declared that An Post and the IPU had no mandate or authority to negotiate the closure of rural post offices. 

Read full report in this week’s printed edition of The Nationalist in shops tomorrow.