Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to reiterate the point about the name badge. People who go to social protection offices are, by and large, dealt with satisfactorily and have a positive outcome. Others do not have a positive outcome, perhaps because they are not entitled to social protection. Enormous frustration builds up in social protection offices at times. I am sure that if we interviewed officers from social protection offices they would give us many examples of rudeness, offensiveness and so forth from the other side of the counter. I believe it is appropriate that officers be identifiable, but only within that particular office. I do not believe it is necessary for them to be identifiable externally. I believe that over the telephone, for example, Christian names should suffice. That might be a way of improving the service.