Earlier this week the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, stated that she was bringing forward a targeted and time-bound proposal in the form of a subvention for our post offices of between €10,000 and €12,000 per year in order to save the network from collapse. This was followed, however, by mixed messaging from the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, who stated that his Department had not ruled in or out any funding. This mixed messaging is unfair. It is unfair on our postmasters and does not instil confidence among the postmasters that the Government is willing to step up to the mark and to save the network. Also, for some time now rural post offices have been calling for the services identified in the Grant Thornton report to be implemented urgently in order to make post offices viable and to enable them to survive and to thrive across our State. What actions and what measures will the Government take? Will it give clarity to our postmasters? Mixed messaging is just not good enough.

This matter is not yet finalised. Taking the Deputy's point on board, I would prefer that it is finalised and fully agreed before I make any announcement on it. What I can say, however, is that the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, working with the Ministers, Deputies Michael McGrath and Heather Humphreys, is working very hard on a proposal that would provide State subvention for a number of post offices around the country, particularly those in rural areas and those very small post offices that provide an essential community need.

That proposal is now being developed. That does not mean that every post office will remain open. It means that where there is somebody willing to be the postmaster and to keep the post office open, it will be a viable commercial option for them to do so.