Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I apologise for being late. I was attending a presentation. I will briefly discuss the way in which we ensure that those to whom rent supplement is paid are tax compliant and that their accommodation is reasonable and good enough. In recent months, most of us have been concentrating on putting staff in social welfare offices, given the fact that many people are becoming unemployed. If community welfare officers are dealing with rent supplement payments, I assume that they are expected to keep tabs on the types of accommodation available and whether people are living where they should be. They now deal with as many unemployed persons as they deal with in their usual cohort, if not more. Despite the current delays in getting people their jobseekers benefit payments or their allowances, no additional personnel or support services have been placed in community welfare offices. They are being overwhelmed. They are no longer able to provide their previously good service.

I appeal to the Minister in respect of the rent supplement and so on. The majority of the CWOs' work now relates to people who have become unemployed. They must also deal with those people's applications for rent supplement payments and mortgage relief, but no additional supports or staff have been provided. I appeal to the Minister to consider this matter seriously.

See this speech in context