Cork councillor urges people to ‘use or lose’ post offices

Cork people need to adopt a “use it or lose it” mentality when it comes to supporting their local post offices, a Cork city councillor has said.

Labour’s Peter Horgan has urged people to make a new year’s resolution to post local and shop local for 2025.

Research published in November, and carried out by Red C on behalf of the Irish Postmasters Union (IPU), found that 78% of respondents agreed their local post office provides them with valuable services they could not easily find elsewhere.

Despite a widespread move towards digitisation, 91% said the post office remains crucial. Although post offices have more recently been used by older people buying stamps and collecting social welfare, the research found support is strong among young people.

Some 82% of respondents aged 18-34 said their community would be worse off without a post office.

Essential

Mr Horgan said it was essential that people in the city and its suburbs remembered to support their local post offices. “We have to adopt a use it or lose mentality,” he said.

“From shopping local to posting local, supporting the local post office for jobs such as bill payments, savings, and other items like motor tax and TV licences, we have to support our local post offices.

“When a post office closes, it is like a dagger in a local community’s heart. We have to use them and show we want to retain them now, not after the fact.”

Cork city has lost several post offices in recent years, among them outlets on High St, Shandon St, Montenotte, and Military Rd.

In a motion before the December meeting of Cork City Council, Mr Horgan sought an examination by the council of an enhanced service support scheme to run through the local authorities.

Although such a scheme is not being taken up now, Mr Horgan urged the council to keep an open mind on the proposal. He said that the attention such a scheme would give to local post offices would be worth it.