The state needs to recognise that rural isolation can be a danger to mental health.
That’s according to Sinn Fein councillor Martin Browne as he was commenting on the closure of rural post offices.
Recently, the Department of Social protection has been informing some social welfare recipients that they will no longer receive their payments through the local post office. Instead they will be paid through electronic transfer in banks.
He went on to say that this decision will have a number of effects on rural life. These include the loss of revenue for already threatened post offices as well as the isolation many people will face if they no longer have that weekly human encounter when receiving their payment.
He has called for the programme of changes to be paused immediately, or, at the very least, to offer recipients a choice of how they receive their allowance.
