Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Brian Finucane via Twitter
Post Office

Postmasters distance themselves from campaign to 'Name and Shame' TDs

However, the local elections candidate says he will continue with the campaign, and hopes that it will spread nationwide.

POSTMASTERS HAVE MOVED to make it clear that ‘Name and Shame’ posters that appeared in several post offices in Kerry were the work of an individual local election candidate.

People Before Profit candidate Brian Finucane put up the posters with the support of local post offices, and told TheJournal.ie this evening that he hopes the campaign spreads nationwide.

The posters list local TDS who voted against a Dáil motion tabled by Independent TD Seamus Healy aimed at protecting the local post office networks.

ePayments

Finucane said his campaign is aimed at protecting the future of the post office network, highlight the effect that introducing ePayments systems could have on communities.

“It is going to affect every community,” he said, saying that it will led to people heading into local towns rather than small villages.

image Finucane protesting outside a bank in Kerry recently. (Image Credit: Brian Finucane/Twitter)

Finucane described the government as taking a “kicking the can down the road” attitude to the issue.

“If you fail to plan, you  plan to fail,” he said.

“While we do have a high level of public concern about Post Offices,” Irish Postmasters Union General Secretary Brian McCann said this evening, “The IPU believes this type of action, which is personalised towards individual TDs, is unhelpful and we do not support it.”

“Tangible commitment”

He noted that the IPU will be meeting with Minister Pat Rabbittee next week on the issue, and said the union sees it as an “opportunity to give tangible commitment with clear actions, timelines and expected outcomes”.

Finucane received support from People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd-Barrett on Twitter this afternoon.

Minster Rabbitte has said in recent weeks that post offices need to “innovate” in order to ensure their viability.

He called for “innovative new ideas, new products and services, that will enable, consist with law, that the post office network may be used as front of office for the provision of government services.”

Rabbitte: Post offices need to innovate to ensure their survival >

Previously: ‘Government has no plans to close post offices’ >

More: Are microwave postboxes an Irish thing now? >

Your Voice
Readers Comments
28
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.