Local communities must use their post offices if they want to keep them open, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.

He made his comments as Independent TD Tom Fleming appealed to him to intervene with Tánaiste Joan Burton over letters being sent to social welfare recipients which were "encouraging people to change from their post office financial services to the banks".

The South Kerry TD said more than 30 per cent of post office business was social welfare payments and “taking those crucial services from post offices will only accelerate closures”.

But Mr Kenny told him: “It is an unfortunate fact of life and, while we wish to keep them open, communities must support post offices in order for that to happen.”

Raising the issue during Dáil leaders’ questions, Mr Fleming said many people did not realise “they will pay the banks for this service while there is no cost for the service in the post office”.

He asked Mr Kenny to intervene with Ms Burton as well as Minister for Communications Alex White, who has commissioned a report on the post office network and its business future.

Mr Kenny said the recipients of social welfare payments from the Department of Social Protection were “entitled to say where the payments should be made”.

“Unfortunately,” he added, “the vast majority of people in receipt of payments choose to have it paid directly into their bank accounts when they are asked the question. That is their choice.”

The Taoiseach said 24 post offices had closed since 2010 but that 197 closed between 2006 and 2010.

Mr Fleming said some post offices had transferred to multiples on the edge of towns, most recently in Listowel, Co Kerry, without public consultation.

The Taoiseach agreed that communities should be informed before a decision is taken to close a post office. But he insisted that “local communities will keep post offices alive”.