'We need to change with the times'-Ballymore postmaster hopes new ideas can save rural post offices

An Post chief David McRedmond yesterday revealed that there would be a 28c hike in the price of Irish postal stamps as the company struggles to pay their weekly €10 million wage bill. The news came just as details of the report from businessman Bobby Kerr emerged, which suggested that as many as 80 rural post offices would have to be closed to make the company viable.

Post offices in Hollywood and Two Mile House have closed in recent times, and a looming threat of further closures lurks over other rural outlets in Kildare.

Ballymore Eustace postmaster Sean Fogarty, who has worked for An Post for almost 20 years, believes that the semi-state company will have to change with the times if they are to keep rural post offices open.

He believes that local post offices could be turned in tourist hubs, cater for more online businesses, and take payments for things like motor tax and any hospital charges.

"We may need to restructure and remodel from the business model we had in the past," Mr Fogarty told KildareNow.

"If it’s a case of re-adding some services and changing what we had done in the past from more of a cash-based model to having other services that we can add to the business, then that’s fine. Businesses change, I would be one that would be looking to see if there’s other services out there that we might be able to do to fill the void.

"We as a post office could be used for tourism purposes. That’s something we have been trying to see if we can get working in that area, that a post office could be used a tourist information area rather than having an information office in most towns.

"Whether we could add other services like photocopying, faxing and emailing for those people, and also some online business and having services that we could offer people here in Ballymore where they use our services as regards skyping or having private conversations. That’s something that we’re looking at because not all people may well have internet at the moment, and in our area that’s a fact.

There have been fears expressed about whether or not all of the staff on An Post's sizable €10 million weekly wage bill would be paid in April, though the increase in the price of stamps has given a short term guarantee to workers that they will be paid on time. Mr Fogarty says that it was probably a necessary step to take, though it is ultimately a quick fix. Longer term solutions will have to be worked out to retain all the services possible he says.

"I wish there was one quick fix but there’s not. I’m happy enough to think that there’s enough business there if we’re given the chance to do it and to maintain the services that we have. I think that’s what we’re all in this to do, to try and retain as much of those services in villages like Ballymore."