EARLIER TODAY, REPORTS suggested that 80 post office branches would close, mainly in rural areas of Ireland, in an effort to plug An Post’s annual losses of €12 million.

An Post has this afternoon refuted those reports, saying that ‘these reports have not come from An Post’ and that no final decision has been made.

“We are currently completing the first detailed, in-depth review of the Post Office Network for many years. This review will take into account shifting demographics, the changing marketplace for services and the economics for postmasters.

No decisions have been made while this review is ongoing.

This morning, Michael Fitzmaurice said that the reports of post office closures were a sign of the government’s lack of commitment to rural issues.

With all the talk of the revival of rural Ireland in recent months, these announcements fly in the face of what we have heard and it is clear that the Government is talking out of both sides of its mouth when  it comes to rural issues.

An Post said that they are planning for “a commercially viable and self-funded network which will meet the needs of citizens across the State”.

“We expect the work to be completed within the next couple of months.”

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