The Dáil has voted down a motion which would have guaranteed the future of the post office network.

TDs instead approved a government counter-motion which fell short of guaranteeing the survival of smaller post offices.

The Dail's public gallery was packed with members of the Irish Postmasters' Union as the vote was held.During the debate one Labour TD accused Fine Gael deputies of handing out politicians' mobile numbers to angry postmasters.

Arthur Spring also warned Fine Gael that it was 'heading for a general election' if it did not stop getting supporters to target Labour on the issue.

Social Welfare payments

Postmasters say the failure to adopt the action plan for post offices will threaten rural communities. The Irish Postmasters Union is before an Oireachtas Committee today to discuss its concerns over the future of the network.

They say that despite awarding the contract for social welfare payments to An Post, the government is driving people to use their bank accounts to receive benefits.

A report commissioned by the Irish Postmasters Union from Grant Thornton previously found that some 557 post offices are at risk of closure if the government continues to move to electronic payments.

The report found that by 2017 there would be a decline of 48% in the post office network.

It also found that where direct electronic payments are introduced and 75% of payments are done without the involvement of the network, 444 Post Offices would be lost by 2017.

IPU General Secretary Brian McGann says TDs must vote for an action plan to support post offices tonight or they will damage rural communities.