Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

Some improvement in resolving matters has occurred since I tabled this question last week. As I was not allowed raise and get a response to this matter on the Order of Business, I raised it by way of tabling this question.

Has a backlog of work been created as a result of the industrial action to date? I appreciate the Minister said the industrial action has not caused the stoppage or prevention of payments to people, but is there concern that such industrial action has created or will create in the period up to 1 July a backlog of work in the Department's offices? I received correspondence, which I am aware the Minister also received, as it was copied to me, from people who experienced difficulty contacting the Department's offices and who have complained to us on that basis. This is the key issue, namely, whether as a result of the inconvenience caused by the industrial action a backlog of work has been created and, if it has, how the Minister intends to address it.

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