Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have started a campaign on social media to say that this is available, that if people need help, we are here to help them, and that the first place to go is the community welfare officer and they can go to the local Intreo offices as well. We do not want to take anybody out of the community. It is a case of people using services in a different way now, so we have to try to respond to the needs of the customers who use the service. There is a telephone line and much of the time one can get what one needs over the telephone, and the assessment and the payment can be made. It can be done electronically. Those who do not want to use that can go to the Intreo offices. I am not sure if this is across the country but I know that community welfare officers go to some clinics. Again, we want to make sure that people get help when they need it. That is the most important thing. We will be running an awareness campaign. I encourage the members of the committee to join me in making people aware that those supports are available. We want to make sure that those who are in need of help get the help they want.