Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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443. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which agency staff have been used in his Department in each of the past five years to date for the purpose of answering and transferring calls on their switchdesk; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55430/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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My Department does not use agency staff for the purposes outlined in the Question.

The telephony/switchboard service in my Department is currently under contract with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI). I understand that NCBI provides services to other public bodies in this regard.

The contract provides valuable employment for two people with a registered disability as well as an excellent training platform for relief vision-impaired telephonists who cover from time to time as part of the contractual terms.