Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I think that in the round, the community welfare service works well, and we have seen how community welfare officers have responded to the increased need for exceptional needs payments in the past couple of months, with a significant increase in the number of payments being made. Obviously, that is because people have needed them, but it also demonstrates there is capacity in the system to receive applications and make payments. The system at the moment is a mixture - online, by phone and by appointment - and I think that is probably more efficient in the round than a drop-in service, but it is something for the Minister for Social Protection to work on. I will certainly let her know Deputy Boyd Barrett has raised it on more than one occasion in the House.

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