Madam, – So now the proposal is to move the social welfare payments contract from An Post (Home News, May 2nd) – which would result in the closure of many local post offices.
Our post offices are essential social centres, especially for our elderly. The face-to-face contact between post office staff and their elderly customers and the opportunities for the elderly to meet their neighbours cannot be valued on a balance sheet. Our communities and the institutions that allow them to prosper need to be strengthened if we are to survive this recession. The local post office is one of the most important focal points in every community: let’s support it, not weaken it. – Yours, etc,