Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this issue with Deputies Seán Kyne and Thomas Pringle.

In the past week it has been brought to my knowledge that the Department plans to withdraw the community welfare service offices serving Ballyhaunis and Claremorris in County Mayo and transfer them to Castlebar. I sought clarification from the Minister's office, but I have not received it. I assume the move is going ahead. A number of rural community welfare offices in County Mayo have been closed in recent years, but they had the benefit of far greater proximity to the towns in which the service is now based. On this occasion, the entire service is delivered out of east Mayo and two towns with a particular need for it. This raises the need for a full-time community welfare service to be based in rural areas.

One of the difficulties people will not understand by looking at a map is the lack of public transport. People do not have the opportunities available in urban areas in terms of bus and rail transport. The clients who use the community welfare service have serious financial issues and do not have the cash for taxis. They may not have their own resources for transport and we will leave them in a serious position.

The broader issue is the withdrawal of Government services from rural areas and the need to examine this issue in an audit. The area in question has suffered in recent years from the withdrawal of services, including under the previous Government. Departments reorganising services need to come together to ensure they are not targeting specific areas for the withdrawal of services in order that the burden can be shared.

I would like to know what the position is on the offices in Claremorris and Ballyhaunis. I spoke to the Minister over the summer about delays in respect of domiciliary care allowances. She indicated that she would act and there has been a transformation in the delivery of the service since we spoke, which I acknowledge.

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