Joan signing the contract with Donal Connell, Chief Executive of An Post for delivery of cash payment services to social welfare customers. The contract will see An Post deliver more than €9 billion of cash payments to social welfare customers annually, and will support local post offices and jobs in communities across the country.

The Department of Social Protection has reiterated that An Póst has been selected to deliver cash payment services on behalf of the Department to customers in receipt of social welfare.

Suggestions in recent days that An Póst stood to lose the contract are incorrect.

On December 22nd last, the Department signed the new contract with An Póst after the company successfully tendered for it.

The contract will see An Póst deliver over €9 billion of payments to welfare customers in 2014, involving more than 40 million transactions.

The contract is for a minimum period of 2 years with the option to extend to a maximum of 6 years in total.

The contract will be worth more than €50 million a year to An Póst, and will support jobs and communities throughout the country, as An Póst’s network of local offices will deliver the payments to customers.

The Department recognises the trusted and valuable service that An Post and its postmasters and staff have consistently provided and looks forward to this continuing through the new contract.