Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. What she has just told this House is that a temporary reduction in services as a result of Covid is being used to introduce a permanent reduction, which is what we have accused the banks of doing. The RSA, an agency under the remit of the Department, seems to be happy with this. It is outrageous that people can no longer obtain access to a normal service. Covid is being used to downgrade services. That is all very well and good for those who can do their business on line, which is many us. What about those who cannot? Something else that is outrageous is the state of distress that people come out of that office in. I challenge the Minister of State to stand outside those offices. Elderly people feel there is absolutely no sympathy for their plight and they come out of the office in a state of distress.

I note the very high level of no-shows. I find that highly suspicious because I have heard numerous anecdotal accounts of people who have showed up two or three minutes late, still within their ten-minute slot, and who have been told they are late and have to go. That is not good enough. Of course people should show up on time, but life intervenes. Sometimes Ministers do not show up here on time because life intervenes. We try to get on with things and facilitate business, but it seems to be no willingness to do that in the NDLS in Ennis.

I am worried that the stance the Department is taking is to state the service was temporarily downgraded and that is wonderful, because, like the bank of Ireland and AIB, it is going to use it as an excuse to permanently downgrade the service it offers without any cognisance of the impact that is having on elderly people's lives. I brought my father to get his last driving licence and distinctly remember it. I am happy he received a good level of service, but then and now are two very different things. This needs to be examined. It is not good enough in terms of the downgrading of the service and, in particular, the service being offered in Ennis.

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