Post office welfare payments
Michael Healy-Rae objects to welfare claimants being directed away from post offices and asks the Government to honour its commitment to protect the network; the Taoiseach promises to raise the matter with the Minister and cites plans for basic bank accounts in post offices.
The Taoiseach is well aware that in the programme for Government there was a commitment to protect our post office network. I do not know whether he is aware that the Minister for Social Protection has continued sending out letters to new welfare claimants, directing them to go to banks, credit unions and everywhere except post offices. I have some of these letters with me. They were sent to all Deputies today. This is a disgrace. The Government has said it wishes to protect our post office network and we now have the opportunity to do so. Could the Taoiseach please speak to the Minister for Social Protection and alert him to this fact? This is a terrible model.
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