Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I heard the media campaign which I welcome. I am sure it will have an impact when we get to see the figures for the past month or so. Obviously, the number of people looking for additional needs payments increased because of the cost-of-living increase and not because of the media campaign because the increase happened before the campaign. We should have a specific pilot scheme in a rural area and put a community welfare officer into the community to see how that impacts for people in the area. It is impossible for someone with no money who is in despair and in crisis to walk from a rural area to the city. Having community welfare officers in the community would allow them to know who is who and what the needs are. They would get to know the community in the area. That has been really badly missed in the community since the community welfare officer was pulled out into the Intreo offices. That has been my experience as a councillor and a Deputy.

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