Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this. First, we did not close the branch office.

Branch offices are privately run small offices that, in the main, accept and validate applications for jobseeker and one-parent family payments and then pass them on to the Department's national processing team for processing and payment. They can also provide public service card registrations and act as outreach offices for other services, including employment and community welfare services on a part-time basis.

Castlepollard branch office closed on 8 April 2022 at the request of the then branch office manager who, unfortunately, had to retire due to ill health. Since then, an outreach service continues to be provided in the county council offices, Mullingar Road, Castlepollard every Tuesday and Wednesday each week.

My Department closely monitors all relevant data in regard to the service provision in this and all other localities. A total of 366 new claims, or approximately seven per week, across all schemes were registered in Castlepollard in the last year. This level of activity would not justify the opening of a full-time social welfare office but the situation will be kept under review.

In addition, we have maintained an outreach service there. There has been no reduction in service levels by the Department in relation to activation measures, community welfare support or inspector activities. Customer claims can also be taken and validated, as before, in the outreach centre.

People in the Castlepollard area are also fully supported by Mullingar Intreo Centre where customers are welcome to conduct their business by attending in person, emailing mullingar@welfare.ieor via the dedicated phone line. The Department's services are also available through digital and online channels at MyWelfare.ie.

As a result of these options, the closure of the branch office has not impacted speed of claim processing. All new claims, whether received in the outreach centre or via other channels, are processed now, as before the branch office closure, by the Department's national processing team in a timely manner.

See this speech in context