Page 48 of the programme for Government states that the Government will act swiftly on the recommendations of the Post Office Network Business Development Group by the development of an e-payment system. I am sure the Taoiseach is very aware of the seriousness of the potential closures of post offices. It is an issue of concern that has been brought to his attention by all citizens of this country. I am aware a protest took place outside his constituency office so I am sure he is acutely aware of it. He has made the point that he has an interest in rural Ireland. If he has an interest in rural Ireland I ask him to protect our post office network, which is vital. The postmasters' union has one simple question, namely, what this Government is doing to protect the future of post offices.

On the same matter, I support what Deputy Nolan has said because the Government put a lot of thought into pages 47 and 48 of the programme for Government on post offices and community banking. It outlines the feasibility of offering Government services in post offices, a renewal process in terms of the existing five-year strategy for the network and a major development of post office services. In terms of what is happening in reality, however, and I have been asking the Taoiseach this question for four months, he is allowing the collapse of the post office service, which might suit the Government.

A question on promised legislation.

People were outside his constituency office in Castlebar. We are told by An Post that 265 post offices are closing. Once and for all will the Taoiseach stand up and give a firm commitment in the House today that this Government is totally committed to the post office service? He must remember that it is not just a rural problem; it is an urban problem as well.

I call Deputy Mattie McGrath on the same issue.

The programme for Government is meant to support the post office network but nothing has happened. It is Spy Wednesday today and tomorrow is Holy Thursday but the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, did a Pontius Pilate on this two weeks ago. He washed his hands of it. Last July, legislation was passed in the House giving statutory instrument powers to the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, in this area but he has washed his hands of it and handed it back to the Minister, Deputy Naughten. I know he will do his best but unless he gets support from the Taoiseach and his Government, the post offices will go down the drain, so to speak.

A question, please, Deputy.

What does the Taoiseach intend to do to fulfil the commitment in the programme for Government? The Rural Independent Group tabled a motion on this issue which was agreed unanimously. The Government accepted the motion, so what is the Taoiseach going to do about it?

The question is who is going to be crucified.

Deputy McGrath has asked the question.

Yes, who is going to be crucified? Will it be the Minister, Deputy Naughten? The Minister of State, Deputy Ring, went off and now all of us will be crucified because we will have no post offices.

We are not sitting on Good Friday. I call Deputy John Brady on the same issue.

He was ahead of Good Friday. He did it two weeks ago. Pontius Pilate.

On the same issue, the Government has sat on the Kerr report for two years. Nine priority actions and 23 recommendations are identified in the Kerr report. It is a classic case of the Government fiddling while Rome burns. In my constituency of Wicklow, two post offices are now closed pending the outcome of this review. We know about the issue of the electronic fund transfer. That is a key issue and one of the main recommendations from the Kerr report and without it being fully implemented and put in place, there will still be an issue in terms of people opting to have their social welfare payment sent to a bank as opposed to a post office. If the Taoiseach is serious about this issue, and I have to take him and his Government at their word that they are serious about protecting our rural post offices and post offices across the State, he would first end the confusion between the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, and the Minister, Deputy Naughten, and act to implement all the recommendations and priority actions in the Kerr report. Will the Taoiseach commit to implementing the actions in the Kerr report and putting in place an electronic fund transfer system?

It is not actually a question on legislation.

I pointed out to Deputy Brady and others that between 2004 and 2010, 345 post offices closed and that there have been 37 closures in the past five years. Two post offices in my area closed quite recently. Both were advertised and consultations took place but nobody wanted to take on the job. It is hard to direct that people would do this. What are we doing about this? On television the other night, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment referred to the national roll out of broadband, which will allow post offices to have access to broadband. We are also actively encouraging people to have their social welfare payments paid at post offices, which is their choice. We support the introduction and roll-out by An Post of the e-payment account. An Post has announced its intention to launch a new payment account from its own resources. It is not seeking Government support for that. We support the model of community banking and this is being processed by the Department of Finance along with the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. We established the feasibility of offering a motor tax service and other social services in post offices. This is being finalised with the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government but will ultimately require An Post to engage in delivery.

I mentioned the report brought forward by the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, regarding hub post offices. Four of those will be rolled out as part of a pilot scheme. We will support the establishment of a post office network renewal process based on the An Post plan over five years. I assure Deputy Brady and others that the Government is fully committed to the post office network. This is not an easy situation to resolve. We want to try to give it as many services as we can.