Post office candidate to contest Joan Burton’s constituency

A third post office candidate is to put himself forward for the upcoming general election.

Blanchardstown postmaster Geoff Boyle will launch his campaign on Tuesday at the Blanchardstown Town Centre.

Mr Boyle, who has worked as postmaster in Blanchardstown village for 12 years, is seeking election on the platform of better services for communities.

He is to contest for a seat in Dublin West, where Tánaiste Joan Burton and Minister for Health Leo Varadkar are among the current sitting TDs.

The Community and Post Office Candidates group is a movement of independent candidates, all of whom are practicing postmasters or postmistresses and are seeking to protect the post office network.

Cabra postmaster, Andrew Kelly and Galway postmistress Seona O’Fegan have already declared their intention to run in the general election next year.

Mr Boyle said while the issue of post offices is often perceived as a rural issue, people in Dublin West are also deeply concerned about the future of the communities that they live in.

“If elected, I will work for stronger policy, and more investment, in each of the areas that make communities vibrant, particularly local business, jobs and transport,” he said.

Protecting communities, and the post office network is about citizens, both rural and urban, having access to essential State and commercial services, Mr Boyle said.

“Current Government policy is forcing post office customers to the commercial banks and will lead to major network closures,” he said.

“We know that when a post office closes it is followed by further local business closures and the heart is torn out of the community.”