Pensioners may soon need swipe cards to collect their weekly pensions, it was claimed in the Dáil today.
Labour TD Kathleen Lynch said: "A pensioner told me that he will be issued with a swipe card when his pension book runs out in September. For people living in rural areas, they will have to go to the nearest bank or big town if their local post office is not automated.
"I fear it will cause a lot of stress and inconvenience for thousands of people up and down the country."
She added: "The closure of rural post offices is also causing a problem for pensioners. I already know of a man who has to drive a car-load of pensioners several miles each week to their nearest town to collect their pensions every week."
The Cork TD raised the issue during the Dáil, but Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue immediately ruled it out of order.
Ms Lynch said she had raised the matter in a parliamentary question to the Minister for Social & Family Affairs Martin Cullen.