Pat the Cope Gallagher has called on the government and An Post to reverse their decision to close the Kilcar Post Office at the end of the month.
And now, the Donegal Deputy has urged the Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh to personally intervene and save Kilcar Post Office.
He said: “I am calling on Minister McHugh to use his cabinet influence for the greater good of the people of Kilcar and reverse this decision of closing the local post office.
“The survival of Kilcar Post Office is key to the overall future development of the parish, as both locals and tourists depend on it along with the numerous businesses located within the community,” he added.
“The original package, which is facilitating the closure of Kilcar Post Office, was agreed by and signed off on by the very government and cabinet of which Minister McHugh is a member of.
“Whilst the scheme of post office closures may have been agreed with by An Post members and the present government – it certainly never had the backing of the general public or communities such as Kilcar and the various other areas which have already lost their post offices since this government has allowed this scheme of post office closures to be implemented,” Gallagher said.
Deputy Gallagher said that the decision had come as a huge shock to the entire community in Kilcar.
“The post office is the only one in the entire Parish with a population of around 1,740 people, notwithstanding the importance of the post office to numerous businesses in the area that depend on the post office for dispatching their goods and services.
“This closure of the Kilcar Post Office by the An Post and government back scheme of closures is going to leave a devastating effect on Kilcar and similar to other closures elsewhere it is ripping the very hearts out of our rural communities.
“This scheme of post office closures was introduced without any consideration for the long-term consequences for people, business or future development prospects of areas and communities,” he added.
“Minister McHugh as a Cabinet Minister and a TD for Donegal has a duty of care and responsibility to intervene in this closure and ensure that Kilcar Post Office is saved for the entire Parish.
“I understand that other locations for the post office can be found in the village,” Gallagher continued.
“It is a matter for the government and An Post to now come together and find a solution to avoid the devastating effects of this post office closure in Kilcar.”
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