Local postmaster joins GPO protest

BALLYMUN postmaster Dermot Higgins joined with colleagues from around the city outside the GPO last week for a protest against Post Office closures.

It was part of a national campaign by the Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) and comes ahead of a planned Dáil rally in April.

The IPU is calling on politicians, communities and social organisations to give their support to the campaign. The organisation says all political parties pledged their support to maintaining and supporting the post office network at election time and must now live up to their promises.

Postmasters fear hundreds of closures around the country as An Post seeks to reorganise the post office network to make it financially viable.

During the GPO protest, the IPU handed in a letter seeking an urgent meeting with An Post chief executive David McRedmond.

Mr McRedmond wrote directly to all postmasters earlier this month about plans for a major re-organisation of the Network, but the IPS say they should have been consulted first.

Ballymun postmaster, Dermot Higgins, who is also an IPU Executive member and Dublin spokesperson said his colleagues would not support what he described as a “solo run” on the future of post offices by An Post.

“We fully understand that the role and services of the Post Office Network needs to change due to increasing use of technology, demographic changes and falling use of traditional mail services,” he added.

“The IPU understands that re-organisation and planning for the future is necessary, but we do not support major closures as part of this.

“We want to provide additional financial, State and social services and ensure that post offices continue to serve the economic and social needs of as many communities as possible.”

The IPU is calling for suggestions for a structured plan contained in the Post Office Network Strategy Board report completed before Christmas to be followed up.