The Chief Executive of An Post has strongly defended plans to close 159 post offices in rural areas.
David McRedmond told an Oireachtas committee that consolidating and reconfiguring the network was essential to the future of the service.
He said the decision was not made randomly and that any attempt to unravel the plan would have the "most serious consequences."
Mr McRedmond said that the 159 offices that are set to close accounted for 3.7% of all customers.
He added that every community over 500 people would still have a post office.
Fianna Fáil communications spokesman Timmy Dooley told Minister Denis Naughten that he had allowed himself to be "spooked" by senior An Post executives with regard to the future of the network.
Mr Dooley said that Mr Naughten should have challenged them, instead of going into crisis mode.
Minister Naughten said that communities can appeal against the decision to close.
He gave the example of one community, which was narrowly below the population cut off, which managed to reverse the decision to close.
Mr Naughten has indicated that after today's Cabinet meeting the Government will look into channelling more services through the postal network.
He told the committee that he "did not shirk away" from his responsibility as minister.
He said: "We have worked tirelessly to restructure the company in order to save it."
"I argued strongly for the need to channel more Government services through the An Post network and I am glad to say that earlier today I got a decision from Government now to look at an offline avenue for all of Government online services and we expect to come back to Government with decisions on that fairly soon."
He said the Government has set out a clear path for the future of the post office network, which has been overlooked for years by successive governments.
Mr Naughten said that he worked hard on securing investment of €30m for An Post to safeguard the five day a week mail delivery and collection and to protect post office counter services.
He said standing still is not an option and "if politically we thread water, if we shirk decision-making we won't have a stronger post office network, we will have a weaker one, and potentially ultimately we will have no post office network at all."
Fianna Fáil motion to retain post office services
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil has published a Private Members' Motion calling on the Government to retain post office services in the 159 areas where postmasters have opted to retire.
Deputy Timmy Dooley said the "closures as well as harming local businesses will have a disproportionate impact on elderly and vulnerable citizens who rely heavily on their local post office.
"Post offices cannot be viewed as simple accounting units with a focus solely on profit and loss.
"They are an immeasurable part of community life across Ireland, but especially in rural Ireland, and the Government must listen and must intervene."
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