One of the first postmasters to run in the next general election has been declared.
Seona O'Fegan is to contest in the Galway West constituency.
Post office candidates will run in the next election after members voted in favour of the move.
Members of the Irish Postmasters' Union agreed to a comprehensive political campaign at their annual conference in Kilkenny this weekend - a campaign that they say will protect the Post Office Network.
The candidates will run as Independents, but will be supported by the 1,100 post offices across the country.
Concern about the future of the Post Office Network has intensified recently, after a report by Grant Thornton found hundreds of offices nationwide would close by 2017, mainly as a result of the change in delivery of social protection payments to Electronic Funds Transfer.
Ned O'Hara, IPU General Secretary, and postmistress Seona O'Fegan, who has a post office in Barna, spoke to Ciara Kelly on today's Right Hook.
Mr O'Hara said postmasters are frustrated "because they hear concerns from their community about what's happening in their locality. Postmasters are being asked 'is your post office being closed down? What's going to happen to it?'... It's not only a rural phenomenon, it's an urban phenomenon as well."
Seona O'Fegan said, "the government would deny vehemently that they're trying to shut down the post office support... But the trouble is they speak and give us a lot of verbal support, but by their actions - specifically with the Department of Social Protection trying to migrate customers from current receipt of funds at their post office of cash... it's making the playing field very unlevel."
"We're not against electronic fund transfer, but if people do want to continue using their post office as opposed to a commercial bank... there should be an option there. We're ready to provide the service that we currently do.... we'd also be very anxious to provide other government services through the network," she added.
You can listen back to the discussion below:
