The CEO of An Post is insisting their remaining offices are set to benefit from increased services and better investment.

It follows the closure of 159 rural post offices nationwide, which Fianna Fáil has described as a "step too far" for rural Ireland.

As part of the plan, business will be moved to neighbouring post offices.

The company says all closing post offices are within 15km of at least one other post office, and on average within 7km.

However, the decision means many people will now face longer journeys to their nearest location.

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast earlier, An Post CEO David McRedmond explained: "The 159 represent 3.7% of our customers - so 96% of our customers are unaffected.

"Not only are they unaffected, they'll actually benefit from having bigger post offices and better post offices. We'd argue that even the other 4%, although they'll have to travel a little bit further, they will also benefit from better post office services."

He added: "We are doing this in a very systematic and deliberate way to make sure there's really excellent coverage... but we can't have small post offices killing other post offices because there's only business for one where there's two in a certain area." 

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Fianna Fáil communications spokesperson, Timmy Dooley, believes that rural Ireland is being disproportionately targeted.

He suggested that people in rural communities have also seen the elimination of small schools and the closure of Garda stations.

Deputy Dooley explained: "[They've also seen] the failure of the State to continue to invest in the road infrastructure and the road network.

"They've suffered all this, and they've accepted and got on with it... but this I think is a step too far, and one which clearly the Government has to address as soon as possible."

Independent TD Michael Healy Rae, meanwhile, owns a Post Office in Kilgarvan, Co Kerry.

He fears the imminent closures are just the start of post office shut downs, and believes as many as 700 may ultimately go out of business.

He told the Pat Kenny Show: "Many of the post offices that are remaining open... they are going to be the next for the chop.

"Post offices such as my own will survive for another two-and-a-half years... but after [that] I find it very hard to see it being viable, and I find it very hard to see it continuing into the future."

A full list of post offices set to close can be found here.

The biggest number of the closures will be in Co Galway, followed by Donegal, Cork and Kerry.