PO closures are slammed as ‘a cull on rural life’

The announcement of the closure of 18 post offices across County Galway has been described as “a cull on rural life” by one local TD.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte (FF) said the announcement was another “death knell” for communities in the West of Ireland and warned there could be more closures on the horizon.

“It’s actually very sad,” said Deputy Rabbitte. “We have so many older people living on their own; they have seen the family move away and it’s just them and the four walls.”

“The Post Office is one of their only social outlets left,” said the Galway East TD.

An Post this week released a finalised list of some 159 post offices set to close across the country following the retirement of the local postmaster, having reached an agreement with the Irish Postmasters’ Union.

The 18 offices confirmed for closure in Galway are: Ballyconneely; Ballyglunin; Ballymoe; Cloghbrack; Colemanstown; Cornamona; Eyrecourt; Garrafrauns; Glinsk; Inverin; Kiltulla; Kylebrack; Lettermullen; Menlough; Moyard; New Inn; Renvyle; and Woodlawn.

Services from these post offices will be transferred to neighbouring towns and villages, with the remaining offices set to benefit from consolidation through enhanced services and products, new opening hours and improved customer service, according to An Post.

Deputy Rabbitte said the closures would hit smallest areas the hardest and would remove a vital service from the communities affected.

She claimed the cuts were disproportionate on the western seaboard and called on the Government to stop treating the West of Ireland as a “playground for the rich”.

“We need to remember that there won’t be one closure in Dublin – it’s shocking,” she said.

■ For more on this story, see the print edition of the Connacht Tribune.

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