Galway East TD and Minister for Rural Affairs Seán Canney has welcomed a Community Supports Action Plan which will see An Post delivery staff checking-in with older and more vulnerable customers.
The initiative by An Post and the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) – in conjunction with the Government – will involve An Post staff across Ireland checking on more vulnerable people along their delivery route at least once a week.
Minister Canney said; “This is a very creative and welcome initiative, which will be of particular benefit for those living alone, especially in isolated rural areas.
“Postal workers play a central role in rural communities and very often they are known and trusted by the people they deliver to.”
Postmen and postwomen will check on people’s well-being by way of a set of standard questions and any requests for provisions or medicines will be relayed directly back to the local Health Service Executive team.
An Post will then support the delivery of essential supplies back to these customers.

EDITORS NOTE
An Post has announced four special community support initiatives:

• Postal Delivery staff will check-in on or older/vulnerable customers along their postal routes across the country
• A free mails and parcels pick up service for these same housebound customers
• A newspaper-ordering and delivery service for all customers, currently being set up in conjunction with national and local newspaper groups.
• The delivery of a further three million free postage-paid postcards to include all prisons, nursing homes and homeless accommodation facilities – two million cards already delivered – to help people send special messages to family and friends.

For more information, contact Minister Canney on 086-2513639
March 26 2020