The Tánaiste is aware that on page 48 of the programme for Government a clear commitment is given to support our post offices. I have a document before me. It is an application by a person of full age for naturalisation as an Irish citizen. The document clearly states that the application fee is €175. It states that the fee should be paid using a banker's draft and that no postal orders will be accepted. What sort of message does this give out to the people when we are trying to attract them to use our post offices? Could this document be changed? The Government has the power to change it. It is a Government-issued document for people who are applying for naturalisation. Can we please take out that reference? What genius decided that no postal orders should be allowed? A postal order is every bit as good as a banker's draft. It is the same as cash. I want to ask for the genius in question to go back, throw these forms away, light a fire and burn them and then issue new forms indicating that a postal order will be allowed. Let our postmasters and postmistresses get a little business.

Deputy Eugene Murphy on the same matter.

I wish to comment on this issue and what is going on in post offices currently. We have a situation whereby hundreds of post offices are going to close in the coming months. Matters like those raised by Deputy Healy-Rae are coming up time and again. It is going against the post office service.

Yesterday evening the House, several Deputies, including Deputy Ó Cuív, Deputy McGrath, Deputy Ferris and Deputy Smith, raised the issue of post office closures. The Minister of State, Deputy Ring, was in the House and a farcical situation developed. The Minister of State clearly said he did not have responsibility for the post office service or whether post offices stay open or closed. He said it was the responsibility of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten. Back three weeks ago, I put this question to the Taoiseach across the floor. There is absolute and utter confusion over which Minister is responsible for the post office crisis currently.

No one is.

If the Tánaiste cannot give me an answer today, she might ask the Taoiseach to come back and give us answers next week.

We will ask the Tánaiste. Deputy, your time is up.

The Taoiseach will be with Trump next week.

I will certainly examine the issue in respect of the postal orders. I am unsure why that has happened, but I will check it for the Deputy.

The Minister of State, Deputy Ring, was in the House yesterday robustly answering the various queries raised.

He did not answer them at all. He might as well have stayed away.

Deputies, please. Have respect for the Tánaiste.

The post office working group, chaired by the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, has looked at models that potentially could expand the role of post offices to act as economic and social hubs in the community. That is what we want to see. The report of the group will be going to Government in several weeks. The Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is willing to continue to work with An Post and the Irish Postmasters Union to establish common ground to progress all the actions that can support our network of post offices.