Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

CWOs come under the HSE, even though they use money from my Department's budget. I appreciate that they are under a great deal of pressure but the HSE has put together a business case for additional officers that must be considered in the context of overall numbers in the public service. To date, we have not had a difficulty with the Department of Finance in seeking additional staff primarily because the officials are being transferred from other Departments. However, different arrangements and agreements were put in place over the years regarding panels, regions and so on, which must be adhered to, and that can affect the movement of officials. The fact that we have sanction to move almost 250 officials demonstrates the co-operation between the Department and the Minister for Finance.

The average processing time for the jobseeker's benefit is shorter than that for the jobseeker's allowance because a means test is required. It is approximately two weeks for benefit claims and five weeks for the allowance claim. The volume of applications in January and February will push the processing time back. Unfortunately, 1,000 people a day signed on the live register in January, which could result in many more jobseeker's allowance claims, while 26,500 signed on in February, which is significant. Every effort is being made.

Queues, unfortunately, form outside social welfare offices and staff have asked claimants to return in the afternoon when fewer people tend to sign on. I can understand that somebody who is used to getting up and heading to work wants to get into the social welfare office and sort out his or her affairs as quickly as possible. Claimants tend to turn up first thing in the morning. The staff in the offices have been trying to manage as best they can to facilitate people at different times.

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