Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

I draw the attention of the Minister and the House to a growing and serious problem in the payment and collection of social welfare payments, for example, in my own community in Lucan village.

The number of people collecting welfare payments in Lucan village amounts to approximately 1,200 every week. The current arrangement is that payments are collected by this large number of people on a couple of days every week. Lucan post office, which is well run and efficient with friendly staff who conduct their business in a well run way, is ideally located to suit the needs of local residents and businesses in the heart of Lucan village. Its business includes the services of collecting pensions, allowances and social welfare payments. The nearest social welfare office, commonly known as the employment exchange, is in Clondalkin which is 6 km away and there is not a good bus service between the two communities.

A number of issues have arisen in both communities in recent times. At times, the queue of people collecting payments stretches out onto the street and around the corner in Lucan village in all sorts of weather. I am sure the Minister of State appreciates the fact that in these times when an increasing number of people are dependent on social welfare payments, this is a far from ideal way to protect people's dignity and avoid embarrassment, particularly if the weather is inclement.

I ask the Minister to give consideration to the following suggestion that payments be spread over a number of days. This would help the service to be run in a more efficient way and would not require embarrassment or loss of dignity on the part of people. There have even been occasions when the support of gardaí was needed to manage the queues.

The current situation is having a depressing effect on people who are already personally challenged by having to sign on to receive social welfare payments. Having to spend up to an hour queueing, often out in the street in inclement weather, could be avoided with careful management and due consideration. I understand there is a similar problem in the post office in the Mill Centre in Clondalkin, where people often have to queue on the street.

This is a problem in my constituency. I ask the Minister to take account of the remedy I am suggesting and which I believe will help to deal with the problem. I have discussed the situation with some business proprietors, informally with the gardaí and with local residents who are discommoded by the problem. I also ask the Minister to consider establishing a permanent, or even a temporary, social welfare office in the greater Lucan area. I am sure the Minister of State is aware, given the economic circumstances affecting the retail industry, that many outlets are available and could be used, even in the short term, to help prevent this great imposition on people.

The thrust of my representation is to ask the Minister to give serious consideration to finding a remedy whereby social welfare payments to the 1,200 hundred people in Lucan village can be spread over five days, with an overflow on Saturday morning, rather than being confined to two days.

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