Westport to host Postmasters annual conference

TAKING A STAND Tony Ryder from Aughagower joined the recent Irish Postmasters Union protest outside the constituency office of An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, at Tucker Street, Castlebar. Pic: Keith Heneghan/Phocus

Anton McNulty

Postmasters from across the country will be coming to Westport over the weekend for the union’s annual conference.
The Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) conference will take place in Hotel Westport over the weekend with the many challenges facing the Post Office Sector to be outlined and discussed.
The conference comes less than a month after postmasters and communities protested outside An Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s constituency office in Castlebar demanding urgent action to save hundreds of post offices.
IPU General Secretary, Ned O’Hara who will address the conference on Sunday told the protest that the Taoiseach needed to show leadership to avoid up to 600 post office closures which An Post is understood to be currently considering.
“There is ongoing talk and lip service from different people in Government, but no action. It is imperative that we have new services sanctioned immediately and meaningful recognition made of post offices’ social and community value - coming from the Taoiseach,” he told the protest in April.
The protest at the Taoiseach’s constituency office came after talks with Minister for Communications, Denis Naughton who recently took responsibility for the postal network from Minister of State, Michael Ring.
The meeting with Minister Naughton was described as lacking clarity and the IPU have invited both Minister Naughton and Mr Kenny to their annual conference in Westport but it is unlikely they will attend.
The annual conference will open on Saturday, May 6 from 2pm to 5.30pm with IPU President, Paddy McCann to give the address on Saturday at 2.30pm. The second day of the conference will take place from 10am to 2pm with Mr O’Hara to give his address at 10am.
The IPU have warned that if they do not get satisfactory answers at the annual conference, they will hold a major rally outside the DΡil along with local campaigns in every constituency.