Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

The IMF officials visit the country one week after the end of every quarter, so there are ongoing discussions between the IMF and my Department. I have also met the troika team and spoken to them about the importance of social welfare to domestic spending in the Irish economy. I will speak to officials in the Department about Deputy Cowen's request.

On MABS and citizens information centres, I hope that there will be a role for citizens information centres and that in some cases they will be able to be near the one-stop-shop area, so that people can get information about entitlements. Social welfare staff have access to social welfare lines, but I do not think that citizens information centre staff have such access, and we may need to examine that issue with a view to improving it. That suggestion has been made.

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