Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

When this change was first mooted and discussed in the Dáil, Fine Gael expressed reservations about it. However, the decision was taken to go ahead with it. What prompted the change of heart with regard to the proportion of community welfare officers to be transferred? Initially, all of the officers were to be transferred, but now it appears 80% of them will be transferred to the Minister's Department and 20% will remain with the Health Service Executive. What difference will there be between the functions of the 80% and those of the 20%?

Where will the Department's community welfare officers, who are currently based in health centres around the country, be based? When will the groups concerned receive the promised document from the Department outlining their terms and conditions and, more importantly, their role? I make this inquiry not just on their behalf, but on behalf of the public, who are the ultimate consumers.

The Minister mentioned in her response that the CWOs will retain their current flexibility and discretion and outlined in her response to Deputy Broughan earlier that people, rather than approaching the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, should be able to go to community welfare officers. However, there is genuine concern that they will no longer have the same discretion they have had to date.

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