Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

My Department currently operates a network of 63 local offices throughout the country. These offices are responsible for administering the jobseeker's payments schemes, one parent family payments and employment supports. They also provide a range of support services to assist groups such as the long-term unemployed, lone parents and people with disabilities to return to the active labour market and an information service for the general public.

The significant increase in the live register over several years has placed additional pressures on our local offices in terms of providing a satisfactory service to the public. The Department accepts that some of its buildings are not ideal. My Department is working closely with the Office of Public Work to acquire new local office accommodation in several locations throughout the country. These include Balbriggan, Swords, Mallow, Killarney, Portlaoise, Loughrea, Castlebar, Navan, Newbridge and Bantry. An annual provision of €2.5 million has been included in my Department's capital budget over the next three years to support the OPW in this task.

In choosing a location for a local office, special consideration is given to its proximity to commercial centres and to other Government and public offices, the availability of public transport for customers and the availability of suitable car parking facilities in the area. In addition all the new offices are designed to comply fully with the statutory requirements for disabled access.

My Department is fully aware of the difficulties experienced by some customers in accessing local offices and is continually streamlining its procedures with a view to minimising the number of visits required by customers to process their entitlements. If the Deputy has concerns about particular offices, I will have them examined.

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