The programme for Government contains a commitment with regard to sustaining the post office network in the country. Why has the Government, through its actions, done a U-turn with regard to this? In particular the actions of the Department of Social Protection are not helping to sustain our rural post offices.

There is a Private Members' motion on the matter today and tomorrow. The Government has put down an amendment to the motion. There are clearly opportunities for An Post to do new business in new ways. An Post won a contract from the Department of Social Protection which is worth €50 million a year. However, there is clearly a need to shake up the way that An Post works as well as many of the post offices and the range of business that they undertake. There are clearly opportunities here. There is no intention from a Government perspective of wanting to close post offices.

Hear, hear.

It is happening and the Government closed down Garda stations before.

The people who use banks generally put their child benefit and pension payments into banks. The people who have tended to use post offices are those who have not had bank accounts. There is an opportunity here for the postal service to consider in many new ways what post offices can actually do. It requires a change in digital culture and training and new ways of doing new business.