Concerns raised over proposed closure of north Mayo postal sorting office

Mayo TD Keira Keogh and Cllr Gerry Coyle have been engaging with all parties since news broke on Friday of An Post’s proposed plans to amalgamate the Barnatra postal sorting office into the new central facility on the Killala Road in Ballina, with the move planned for Quarter 2 of next year.

Deputy Keogh and Cllr Coyle were contacted by local postmaster John Healy on Friday evening who was alarmed to hear the proposals. John built a purpose-designed sorting facility for in 2019 that services 13 postmen and women that cover the Erris region.

Deputy Keogh & Cllr Coyle have been engaging with Mr. Healy, An Post management, and local postal staff to seek clarity on the proposal and hear their concerns.

Deputy Keogh has also written to the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan TD, seeking clarification on An Post’s intentions and the potential impact on postal services in Erris.

“Erris is geographically the size of County Louth, and we must ask whether it makes sense for 13 vehicles to drive from Erris to Ballina and back every day. The environmental, financial, and logistical costs of that decision are significant. There’s also a real concern for the locality in Barnatra — if the sorting office closes, we must ask whether the post office there remains viable. These broader community impacts must form part of An Post’s consultation and decision-making process,” said Deputy Keogh.

An Post confirmed to the Fine Gael elected reps that the proposed move is part of a wider operational restructuring, planned for Q2 2026, compensation of up to two years would be offered to the postmaster, the union may seek “transformation” payments for postmen who relocate, and redundancy options may be available to those who do not wish to move and there will be an ongoing consultation phase with no definite decision at present.

Cllr Gerry Coyle said: “The Erris postal service is a vital part of our community, and while change is inevitable, it must be managed fairly and with respect for the people who’ve kept the service running. Keira and I are united in ensuring that Erris isn’t left behind”