Minister ‘not happy’ with An Post approach to Roscommon Town Post Office

Minister for State Jack Chambers, who has responsibility for post offices, said he was “not happy with the approach by An Post” regarding the planned changes to services at Roscommon Town Post Office.

That’s according to local Senator Eugene Murphy who was among the Roscommon delegation who met Minister Chambers in the Hodson Bay Hotel yesterday evening (Friday) to raise concerns about the likely relocation of services from the town post office building on The Square.

Senator Murphy told the Roscommon Herald that the Minister indicated that he would be meeting An Post senior management “hopefully this coming week”.

“This was an excellent meeting with Minister Chambers who was impressed with the unified approach by politicians from all sides. The Minister made it quite clear that he was not happy with the approach of An Post. He was particularly unhappy about county towns being targeted by An Post,” said the Senator.

“He made it clear there was no threat to the present level of service from An Post. He also said there were a number of towns - not county towns - with sizeable populations where An Post are moving in this direction. He also stated that he had not the power to block them,” he said.

The Roscommon delegation comprised local councillors, Oireachtas members and Bernie Kearney, Chairperson of the Roscommon Older People Network.

The landmark post office on the Square in Roscommon Town is facing the threat of closure following An Post’s recent announcement of planned changes to local post office services. 

The Semi-state company is seeking to change the directly run service to a contractor run business, with a likely relocation of services and a new postmaster. 

A tender for a new post office contract is being planned by An Post.

(See full story in Tuesday’s edition of the Roscommon Herald)