Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

A few issues have already been discussed by some of my colleagues and I wish to return to them. Changing the role of community welfare officers is not a well thought out move. Community welfare officers play a very important role in urban and rural communities. They have built up a considerable amount of knowledge about their community and the people who live there, especially those in need. This Bill seeks to take that role from the Health Service Executive and place it in the control of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Such a move is too quick. Just like the transition from the health boards to the HSE, it has not been thought through well enough. It will lead to much confusion about their role.

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