Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will put a question to both witnesses. We are in a very different context today than we were 18 months ago in terms of Covid-19. The dynamics of the delivery of services will be very different. The Citizens Information Board is very upfront and visible. Something that would be extremely useful would be to look at a one-stop-shop for the public. All of us as public representatives use the CIB website on a daily basis. It is a great resource for us all.

There are 130-odd Government agencies and bodies providing supports to small businesses across the country. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has established an SME small business tool website which lists the various supports and schemes available when one puts in one's business details. It would be useful if something proactive could be done through the Citizens Information Board. It would allow the information and services to be available to a far bigger cohort. What I mean is that it would not just be limited to people who have the technology available to them but that public representatives or the local postmaster or postmistress could put in the data for an individual and tell them what schemes they would potentially be eligible for. I would like the CIB to explore something like that, in particular in the context of Covid-19.

While I know the Pensions Council is not a customer-facing body, it has a consumer advocacy role. Unique challenges have been brought about by Covid-19 and the change in the working environment with remote working and so forth. There will be many more challenges and people could potentially slip through the cracks in terms of pensions or pension contributions. The one that we see as public representatives on an ongoing basis is people in employment who are paying PRSI, who lose their job, possibly start a small business and do not continue to make voluntary contributions, which impacts on the State contributory pension down the road. With Covid-19 a lot of people are reassessing how they are going to work and many more people are going to move into self-employment. There are going to be challenges as a result of that. In terms of Covid-19, the dynamic and change in society as a whole, how do the witnesses see their role in bringing their organisations around to addressing some of those challenges? Perhaps Ms Burke could respond first, followed by Ms Heaney.