Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

The supplementary welfare scheme is administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive on my behalf. The establishment of the Health Service Executive prompted a fresh consideration of the role and structure of the community welfare service and of the most appropriate location for that service in the future.

The commission on financial management and control systems in the health service noted that, over the years, the health system had been assigned responsibility for a number of services which might be regarded as non-core health activities. It recommended that the Government consider assigning non-core activities currently undertaken by agencies within the health service to other bodies. The Government decided to ask an interdepartmental group to examine this issue. The report of the interdepartmental group was subsequently submitted to, and accepted by, the Government. The report recommends, among other things, that income support and maintenance schemes, together with associated resources, should be transferred to my Department. This initiative was mooted several times in the past by the report of the commission on social welfare in 1986 and by the review of supplementary welfare allowances by the Combat Poverty Agency in 1991. This decision provides an opportunity to bring about positive change for customers and staff and it is a logical approach to provision of these services.

This initiative will have major implications for my Department's existing services and for the future delivery of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. An interdepartmental implementation working group, comprising of officials from my Department, the Department of Finance, the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive, has been established to assess fully these implications and to implement the transfer of those services to my Department. There are major organisational, human resource and service delivery issues involved in the proposed transfer. The working group will undertake extensive consultation with all relevant stakeholders throughout this programme of change. This will include consultation with those who deliver the service and service users.

The specific issues raised by the Deputy are among a range of issues that will be examined by the working group. A priority of the transfer process will be to support the high standard of service currently provided by staff in the community welfare service. The proposed transfer is a major change for all involved but I am confident it will be embraced successfully and will enhance the delivery of services to our customers, in particular those who are most disadvantaged in the community.

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