Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I assure the Deputy that it is not proposed to close the social welfare office in Castletownbere. The Department of Social Protection is very conscious of the need to provide efficient and effective customer services at a local level throughout the country for clients while managing services with diminishing resources.

The Department has provided a service with regard to jobseeker's benefit claims in Castletownbere, via its Bantry control office, since 1995 on a weekly basis. Staff from Bantry used to attend the Castletownbere office every Wednesday and one Tuesday a month. Since the end of March, this arrangement has changed to the first Tuesday and Wednesday every month to take claims and for signing on purposes. This change was taken in the context of the business requirements of the Department in light of available resources. With the integration of the former community welfare service from the HSE and the employment and community services from FÁS into the Department, there is an expanded departmental presence in Castletownbere. In this regard, in addition to the jobseeker services mentioned, the Department also provides supplementary welfare and employment support services in Castletownbere on a weekly basis. For example, the officer who administers the supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides a service in Castletownbere every Wednesday and Friday from 10.00 am to noon. A social welfare inspector attends every Thursday and an employment services officer attends the Beara adult education centre on the first Thursday of every month from 10.30 to 12.30. I am satisfied that an adequate and appropriate level of service is being provided in Castletownbere.

Where staff vacancies arise, I assure the Deputy that the Department is expending every effort to continue to source available staff to fill critical vacancies, including those arising from retirements, by way of redeployment or transfer from within the Department and other Departments, taking account of the employment control framework target, as determined by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, having regard to workloads, management priorities and the competing demands arising, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources, with a view to providing an efficient service to those who rely on the schemes operated by the Department.

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