John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that this topic was chosen. It comes about as a result of the centralisation of social welfare and community welfare services in Mayo. I acknowledge the reasoning behind it, which is the creation of a one-stop-shop and improved services for people on social welfare in order to get long-term unemployed people back to work. Community welfare officers deal with a range of other subjects, however, and many of those are emergency situations at short notice. We have a huge area where there is no public transport, but many of the people who call to the clinic would not have their own transport and they need to talk to someone face to face.

The worst affected area is in east Mayo, followed by south Mayo. Clinics have been closed in Kilmovee, Kilkelly, Charlestown, Kiltimagh, Swinford, Ballyhaunis and Foxford. This means that the entire east Mayo area is left without a community welfare service on the ground. My own home parish of Kilmovee has been assigned to Ballina, which is 51 km away. Mayo is the third biggest county in the country. Kilkelly is a similar distance to Ballina. Ballyhaunis is assigned to Castlebar, which is 45 km away. Kiltimagh is 26 km away. I note that Westport is 11 km from Castlebar, but its service has been retained, although I have no problem with that. I point that out more for the need for something to be done about east Mayo rather than to close down any other service.

South Mayo has also been badly affected including Cong, Shrule, Hollymount and Claremorris. I do not want to jump up and down, as it were, without making suggestions. There could be a centralised office in east Mayo, which has an area larger than County Louth. A central office would provide a point of contact within reasonable distance and would represent a solution. Another option presents. Kilmovee is one of the places I mentioned. It is six miles from Ballaghaderreen, Roscommon, where there is an office, but people are being told in the Kilmovee community centre, where the social welfare officer calls once a week, that there is no cross-border co-operation. People must therefore make a round trip of more than 100 km notwithstanding the fact there is an office six miles away. There must be a solution rooted in common sense. I look forward to the response. I will then have a couple of further questions.

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