Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The social welfare officer and the community welfare officer are a very important part of resourcing vulnerable people. From next week, offices, including in my county, will stop contacts totally. Officers used to come to villages but then retreated to their offices before Covid. Now someone has to call a call bank, the call will be logged and a community welfare officer may or may not ring him or her back. Vulnerable people go to these officers, who do a great job - they did a great job during Covid as well, as did the local offices and staff - for help, but that help is being shut off from them. The Minister for Social Protection is also the Minister for Rural and Community Development. Please, look after these people. They are vulnerable. We cannot have the kind of change where they have to ring a call centre, wait on the phone and then might or might not get a call back. Face-to-face contact is vital for people who are vulnerable and in a bad situation.

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