Galway Credit Union the pilot project for Post Office alliance

A major new initiative aimed at maintaining postal services in rural areas is to be piloted in Galway.

Discussions are currently taking place with regard to local credit unions providing postal services in towns and villages where the local post office is under threat.

Recently the post office in Cappataggle was closed down despite a huge campaign to keep it open while a serious threat still hangs over the post office in Barnaderg.

But now plans are being mooted to provide postal services in credit unions across the county – with the possibility of a pilot project being initiated in Tuam.

Management of St. Jarlath’s Credit Union in Tuam along with local public representatives met with Finance Minister Michael Noonan to discuss the prospect.

It would mean that in towns and villages where postal services have been removed, they would now be provided by the local credit union.

Tuam Credit Union Manager Mick Culkeen said that this was not something that would be happening overnight but hoped that progress would be made over the next couple of months.

It would mean that the public would collect their social welfare payments in the local credit unions as well as availing of other services that the post offices provide.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.