Family members can request the An Post postman or postwoman to check in on vulnerable people at home

Request a Check-In’ is a facility for family members to request a specific ‘An Post Check-In’ by the local postman or postwoman for an older or vulnerable person during the current ‘Cocooning’ period.

Family members can register for the free ‘Request a Check-In’ service by completing the postal address and eircode of the customer at anpost.com/ Community-Support. These details will be relayed directly through An Post’s digital network to the customer’s local post person who will call to the address.

Should the customer have any specific needs for groceries or prescription, the post person will provide them with details of ALONE, the national charity ensuring personal support to older and vulnerable people during the current crisis or where necessary, will contact ALONE on their behalf, linking them in to the wider Local Authority Community Response Forum.

“Our postmen and postwomen are calling in to older and vulnerable customers along their postal routes but we have been getting messages from concerned family members living in other areas of the country or abroad requesting specific ‘check-ins’ for relatives, explains Garrett Bridgeman.

“Working with our dedicated and trusted staff, and the Communications Workers Union, we are delighted to put this new facility in place free-of-charge free, combining the digital and physical delivery sides of the business for the common good”.

Also launching today is An Post’s Newspaper Delivery service which will provide sameday delivery to households nationwide Monday to Friday.

Customers can find out more about ordering their chosen newspaper through anpost.com or by contacting their chosen national or local newspaper directly by phone.

Once customers have signed up and arranged payment for their preferred publication, An Post will provide a same-day delivery service for the newspapers. Deliveries will be made free-of-charge by An Post for older and vulnerable customers currently ‘cocooning’ during the Covid 19 crisis.

“Staying connected as we remain apart is important for everybody so having the national or local paper to read is a real practical support and comfort to customers of all ages”, explained Garrett Bridgeman, Managing Director of An Post Mails & Parcels.

“We’ve worked at speed with the national and local newspapers to put this country-wide service in place. While delivery services already exist in some urban areas, An Post Newspaper Delivery will be of particular interest to rural customers”.

Customers can sign-up for several national and many local papers from today (Monday) at anpost.com. More national and local newspapers will join the scheme over the coming weeks.

Physical distancing and safety protocols will be maintained at all times by An Post staff.