Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 5: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans for the future development and administration of the community welfare service; the process by which decisions will be made or have been made; the consultation to take place with those who deliver the service and service users; if the service will continue to be delivered locally from multiple and diverse locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17553/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The supplementary welfare scheme is administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive on my behalf. The establishment of the Health Service Executive prompted a fresh consideration of the role and structure of the community welfare service and of the most appropriate location for that service in the future.

The commission on financial management and control systems in the health service noted that, over the years, the health system had been assigned responsibility for a number of services which might be regarded as non-core health activities. It recommended that the Government consider assigning non-core activities currently undertaken by agencies within the health service to other bodies. The Government decided to ask an interdepartmental group to examine this issue. The report of the interdepartmental group was subsequently submitted to, and accepted by, the Government. The report recommends, among other things, that income support and maintenance schemes, together with associated resources, should be transferred to my Department. This initiative was mooted several times in the past by the report of the commission on social welfare in 1986 and by the review of supplementary welfare allowances by the Combat Poverty Agency in 1991. This decision provides an opportunity to bring about positive change for customers and staff and it is a logical approach to provision of these services.

This initiative will have major implications for my Department's existing services and for the future delivery of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. An interdepartmental implementation working group, comprising of officials from my Department, the Department of Finance, the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive, has been established to assess fully these implications and to implement the transfer of those services to my Department. There are major organisational, human resource and service delivery issues involved in the proposed transfer. The working group will undertake extensive consultation with all relevant stakeholders throughout this programme of change. This will include consultation with those who deliver the service and service users.

The specific issues raised by the Deputy are among a range of issues that will be examined by the working group. A priority of the transfer process will be to support the high standard of service currently provided by staff in the community welfare service. The proposed transfer is a major change for all involved but I am confident it will be embraced successfully and will enhance the delivery of services to our customers, in particular those who are most disadvantaged in the community.

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Minister for his reply. This is a prime example of putting the cart before the horse. There was no consultation with the people involved in the community welfare service, with the end users or with anyone else. Where is there a copy of the report of the core functions of the health service? Does the Minister realise that some people who implement this scheme have not yet seen the report? There was no negotiation with the trade unions involved.

Is there someone in the Department hell bent on subsuming the community welfare service into that Department? Someone wants it in that Department come hell or high water and I want to know why. When will the Minister consult with those who deliver the service and service users? Will the service continue to be delivered locally? The community welfare officers knew everyone locally and exercised discretion. They have built up a personal relationship with many of the users of the service. It will now be put in the Minister's Department, where discretion is often frowned upon.

Can the Minister guarantee the special nature and the ethos of the service? Can he guarantee that its efforts to alleviate social distress will not be curtailed or frustrated by his Department? Will he consider strengthening the supplementary allowance legislation to enshrine its ability to respond to the needs of users? Such a feature is not characteristic of schemes administered and controlled by the Department. The Labour Party is deeply concerned about this scheme as it was developed by the late Frank Cluskey and it was used by people in extreme difficulties. When it enters the Department, will the dead paw of bureaucracy abolish the discretion that currently exists?

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The existing service will not be diluted or changed in any significant way. The role filled by community welfare officers is fundamental. They are at the front line in addressing income supports on a day-to-day basis. There are between 750 to 1,000 community welfare officers in different grades.

This is not some new idea that I thought up. It goes back to the report on the commission on social welfare in 1986 and was reinforced by the review of supplementary welfare allowances carried out by the Combat Poverty Agency in 1991. We are hardly rushing it as the concept has been around for 20 years.

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Could the Minister kill it off?

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The idea is fundamentally sound. The officers are working for the HSE and reimbursed indirectly by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Their real work is dealing with disadvantage at the front line. They will still maintain their current discretion, but they will work with the Department that is primarily responsible for dealing with the same kind of disadvantage. It is more sensible to have these officers within the Department of Social and Family Affairs than have them working for the HSE and reimbursed through my vote transferred to the HSE. They do fantastic work, but it leaves my Department without direct troops in the field in the fight against disadvantage.

The community welfare officers are a huge asset to the country. There will be full consultation between the working group, the unions and the stakeholders involved in this. It is the right thing to do and I hope we can do it successfully.