Thirty-eight post office branches are to close with the first cuts due next month.

A further 54 will operate as an outreach service following a six week consultation process.

However, four branches have been saved — Parkhall Post Office, Antrim, Strathroy Post Office, Omagh, The Throne Post Office, Newtownabbey and Attical Post Office, Newry.

Michael Hughes from the Rural Network Community said the length of the consultation period was not long enough.

"There seems to be some sort of listening. But it will be of little comfort to the vast number of people who will now be relying on outreach services in rural areas," he said.

"The six weeks was just not long enough, we consistently said that.

"We were aware that some of them were never going to be saved.

Mr Hughes continued: "To try and get round 54 communities plus then the communities where the branches were closing in six weeks was an unrealistic challenge."

But Sheila McCann, Post Office Limited's network development manager for Northern Ireland, said they had considered all concerns raised during the consultation.

"These are difficult decisions that have not been taken lightly," Ms McCann said.