Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 7 December 2017

Public Accounts Committee

Comptroller and Auditor General 2016 Report
Chapter 16: Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 17: Management of Social Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 18: Department Reviews of welfare Schemes, Social Welfare Appeals Process, Social Insurance Fund

9:00 am

Mr. John McKeon:

As I was about to say, and I will ask Ms Vaughan to comment shortly because she chairs the community and voluntary pillar group where we meet regularly with the stakeholders I am talking about and she can give the Deputy some of the flavour of it, we work constructively with these stakeholders. I instanced the changes we have made to the carer's allowance form and the domiciliary care allowance form. They would have been done with stakeholders such as Family Carers Ireland and DCA Warriors. They are the kind of stakeholder groups we deal with on a regular basis, and there are many more besides. We deal with them positively and constructively. They will make comments to us informally and formally, and we have to respect that relationship if we are to make progress and have good relationships. It would be wrong of me to come in here and breach something they said in confidence such as, "This is an issue we need to deal with and we will work with you on it". I will ask Ms Vaughan to comment on the community and voluntary work we do because that might give the Deputy a different flavour.