Dún Laoghaire deputy expresses shock at the possibility of Monkstown and Foxrock post offices closing down and calls on An Post to ensure the local service is continued
Richard Boyd Barrett TD has said this evening that he was shocked to discover that the local post offices in both Monkstown and Foxrock are scheduled to close in August.
The closures are happening because the post masters who are both self-employed contractors are retiring and An Post have not been successful in finding someone to take up the contract.
Richard Boyd Barrett TD is calling on An Post to directly employ post masters in order to ensure the continuation of service.
Deputy Boyd Barrett said: “The closure of Monkstown Post Office cannot be allowed to happen. Many, particularly elderly, people rely on this local service to collect their pensions or other social welfare payments and to collect instead from Dún Laoghaire will not be possible for many of these people.
“It is utterly ludicrous that An Post are reliant on a contractor for this vital service to continue. There are 950 post offices across the country of which now only 40 are owned by An Post with the postmaster being a direct employee of An Post. This is a much more sensible way to run a vital service that would ensure continuation in the event of a retirement. Currently Monkstown is due to shut at the end of August and all social welfare payments will be transferred to Dún Laoghaire. We need to ensure that this is not allowed to happen.”
