The Government has been urged to instruct An Post to support post offices whose future is under threat.
The St Vincent de Paul Society says increased social isolation and disadvantage has followed the 344 closures that have taken place in the past seven years.
In a statement, the society expresses extreme concern about the impact of the closures on communities, particularly rural and isolated ones.
It says nine counties have lost at least 30% of their contractor-operated offices since the beginning of 2002. The biggest losers were Leitrim - down 41%, and Cavan, Sligo and Westmeath - each down 40%.
Warning that more closures are planned, Society President Mairead Bushnell says An Post deems the offices in question 'economically unviable'.
But, she argues, the company does not take into account commercial services accompanying them such as post banking, social welfare distribution and private shops - or the vital social role they perform.
While acknowledging that An Post is expected to operate commercially, Ms Bushnell says other State-owned companies like Bus Éireann and the ESB provide important social - but commercially-unprofitable - services to lightly populated rural areas.
And, she concludes, these precedents demonstrate that there is no reason why An Post's mandate cannot be amended to support post offices where they are under threat.
