In recent days, an agreement was reached between the Irish Postmasters' Union and An Post on the future of our post office network. As I could be perceived to have a conflict of interest in this matter, I note for the record that I am the proprietor of a small post office in a rural area. In addition, I wish to place on record my appreciation and gratitude to the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, who has been diligent in his work on our post offices, and others. However, I wish to highlight what is actually happening. In the county I represent, we do not have many post offices. Of those we do, 26 have received letters informing them of an offer to close their doors. This has happened on foot of inaction on the part of this and previous Governments, which have failed to support our post office network despite a commitment to do so in their programmes for Government. The value of An Post's contract in respect of social welfare payments has decreased from €60 million to €51 million and continues to decline.

Some of the post offices which have been offered compensation packages to close may accept them because the postmasters feel they have no choice. The communities served by these post offices include among their members community activists and leaders. Post offices in east Kerry, mid-Kerry, north Kerry, south Kerry and west Kerry, along with post offices throughout the rest of Ireland, have been notified of the offer to close but the communities involved do not yet know about it. Post offices which have not been told that they can close have been offered a contract, signing which would be akin to signing one's own death warrant. I have studied the contract. One would want to be a barrister to read it given the extent of what it involves. Ultimately, it means that people will have to work for far less remuneration while their prospects for the future diminish over the next three years. I have always used the following figure since I entered the House. Unless serious action is taken by Government, 700 post offices could close.

I acknowledge the work of Deputy Dooley, who met even yesterday with representatives from An Post. His timing is very good. He has been diligent about his work as Opposition spokesman and very vocal on the issue. However, there has been a very serious result. Neither the package to close nor the contract is any good. The Government will have to take on board the problems we have if we are to have any hope of saving the majority of the network.

I compliment the Minister, Deputy Naughten, on his determination, which I have witnessed over and over again in Cabinet, to ensure that the post office network remains part of the physical infrastructure of urban and rural Ireland. He has repeatedly confirmed the Government's commitment to ensuring that the infrastructure remains intact. We have seen a commitment to explore the potential to channel more Government business through the network, including motor tax, and the Minister's Department is engaged with other Departments in this regard. The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Ring, will announce shortly a pilot "digital assist" initiative which will use the local post office network as a digital gateway for Government business. The Government has committed to State funding of €30 million for a project with An Post. The funds have been provided by way of a long-term loan advanced from the Exchequer to be used to support the renewal of the post office network and the continued fulfilment of a five-day per week mails delivery service. In turn, this will secure the future of mail and post offices services for local communities nationally in both urban and rural areas. In addition, An Post proposes to invest a further €50 million in the network in the next few years.

There is a partnership between the State and An Post to ensure that the company has a viable future. An Post's commitment is that there will be no compulsory closures while there will be some consolidation to ensure post offices are well located. The transfer of business to neighbouring offices will ensure the continued viability of smaller offices in meeting the needs of communities. An Post will open up to 20 new offices in communities of 500 people or more which currently lack post offices.

A post office will be guaranteed for every community of over 500 people and within 15 km of 95% of the population or, in an urban area, within 3 km. I hope what we have now is an agreement between the postmasters and management in An Post on a future development plan for the company. This is very much supported by the Government, both financially and from a policy perspective. It will ensure post offices will remain a feature across rural Ireland, as well as in urban environments.

I appreciate the work done by people like Debbie Byrne, who is in charge of promoting more retail through our post offices, and David McRedmond. The Tánaiste claimed there are no compulsory closures. He is 100% correct. However, over the past two days, 390 letters went to post offices around the country, out of which 26 went to post offices in County Kerry. If 26 small factories were being offered a closure package in County Kerry, there would be outrage. Even if half or ten of those post offices took up the offer, it would be an awful loss to those communities. It will tear the heart and the soul out of our communities in which we want to keep people living. The same has happened in Donegal, Limerick, Clare and all over the country.

Quite simply, the Government is not acting quickly enough to save the post office network. We cannot blame a postmaster for availing of these packages if their footfall is going down because not enough customers are going into their post office. If they see no way out of it, they will accept it and they will close. Once a post office is gone, it is gone forever. It is in the programme for Government. Will the Tánaiste do more and do it quickly to save as many post offices as we can and not allow them to close?

We are working with An Post to ensure we have as many post offices as possible. There are no compulsory closures. If certain postmasters choose not to stay open-----

They will be forced out.

-----then there will be the option to transfer the business to another business locally or to another post office if it is within a certain range. The whole point is to ensure An Post has a future. Up until six months ago, this was a company with a bleak financial outlook. We now have a situation where An Post is back in profit and we need to ensure it remains so permanently. We must use An Post's entire infrastructure to the fullest possible extent, recognising it has a role in rural community infrastructure, which the Deputy knows only too well about because of his own involvement. The Government is very aware of this role. The Deputy and I have spoken in government formation talks about the importance of the post office network. That is understood in the Government, particularly among rural Deputies. It is led by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten, who has worked with An Post to ensure a viable plan is in place and one with which the postmasters can agree.

I call Deputy Healy-Rae. I apologise, I meant Deputy Seamus Healy.

I thought the Leas-Cheann Comhairle was giving me another crack at it. I do not mind continuing.

I know the Deputy does not mind. He does not always look for permission to do so either.