I am glad that the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Bruton, is present, as I wish to raise the issue of the Thurles post office. Last Friday, 2,000 people marched in Liberty Square where the GAA was founded all those years ago and mandated Deputies to get a meeting with the Minister. Will he meet a deputation of Deputies, who were elected by the people and have been asked to meet him regarding the movement of the Thurles post office out of Liberty Square, which would be detrimental to business people and townspeople alike? I want him to take political accountability. He claims he has no responsibility, yet Fine Gael's election candidate said on radio this morning that he had phoned her to say she could attend the meeting as well. He does not have responsibility one day and, the next, he does. He should take responsibility, be accountable to the people from Tipperary who elected us, intervene in this issue, and give an immediate date for a meeting with elected Members and the post office action committee under the stewardship of Councillor Jim Ryan and others.

Deputy Cahill on the same matter.

I raised this issue last week. Given that the Project Ireland 2040 national planning framework is meant to rejuvenate town centres, it is extraordinary that a State agency is doing the exact opposite. Moving the post office will destroy retail business in the town centre, so the Minister standing idly by and letting this happen is not good enough. I support my colleague's call for an immediate meeting between the Minister, Oireachtas Members and members of the action committee.

There was a huge crowd in Thurles last Friday. The town is completely united against this move. I would be grateful if the Minister could refrain from telling us that this is not his business. It is. This move is contrary to the Government's policy, and we want it to be reversed.

I assure this House and the people of Thurles that An Post has very ambitious plans. It is not seeking to close its post office service-----

That is not what it says.

-----but to extend and improve its service. It has gone through a restructuring plan-----

This is more fake news.

-----and it now has very ambitious programmes in place to develop the scale of its business. It will take on new business, including in the areas of financial services, parcel services and other new services that have not been available. Thurles will be one of the flagship services. The existing premises does not allow it to deliver those services.

That is not true.

I am aware that Deputies and the community are concerned about this, but this is entirely an An Post decision.

The Minister is like Pontius Pilate.

It has responsibility, and it has its own board. In light of what was expressed last week, I asked An Post to meet with public representatives so that the fears expressed could be dealt with.

It will be a box-ticking exercise.

I hope that such a meeting will occur.

The Minister did not answer the question. Will the Minister meet the representatives of Tipperary? We are elected by the people of Tipperary; he should meet us.

I have been categorically clear throughout this that the responsibility for this decision will be taken by An Post and its board. I have no power, contrary to what the Deputy requests-----

Holy Thursday is almost upon us and the Minister is acting like Pontius Pilate.

-----to ask An Post to make those decisions-----

He is passing the buck.

-----under a law that the Deputy participated in passing in this House. I am observing the law as the Oireachtas has set down. The Deputy is entitled to call State agencies to appear before committees. In this case, the State agency has indicated that it is willing to meet with public representatives to go through their concerns. That is the way the Oireachtas says this should happen, and that is how it will happen.

The Minister is refusing to meet with us.