Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

This recommendation was made by a commission on financial management and control systems in the health service. It follows on from the reorganisation and restructuring of the Health Service Executive. Community welfare officers administer, for example, the rent scheme which runs to between €400 million and €500 million annually. It is an enormous scheme and must be seen as a welfare scheme which must be connected and interrelated with the Department of Social and Family Affairs. It is means tested, connected to other schemes in the Department and comprises more than half of the community welfare officers' budget. The salaries and expenses of all 700 community welfare officers come through the HSE but are paid by my Department.

This is a restructuring to take account of what has happened in recent years. The HSE has come on stream, the rent scheme has grown dramatically and the argument has moved on from Frank Cluskey's original idea to have a basic safety net with discretion. It has moved on because the budget administered by the CWOs, who do a superb job, now stands at €700 million annually. I hope to include this in the next social welfare Bill. I will ensure their flexibility is assured and that there is maximum consultation, especially with the trade unions involved.

There is no agenda other than ensuring that the Department of Social and Family Affairs, that spends more than €15 billion annually and is ultimately responsible for the other €700 million, continues to employ the CWOs. They are excellent staff and look after the welfare of the community, and they must work directly for the welfare Department rather than for the Health Service Executive. It will not affect the customer one whit.

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