Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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As the House will be aware, with increasing unemployment figures, people who now sign on for social welfare are facing quite lengthy periods before the social welfare payments are processed and paid. In my constituency of Cork South-Central people are now waiting anything from nine to 12 weeks for a social welfare payment to come through. During that period individuals are directed to the community welfare service and the community welfare officer provides recently unemployed people with a supplementary welfare payment to tide them over the application period.

In the Ballyphehane-Togher area, the community welfare officer has gone on maternity leave and the HSE has not filled the post. As a result, people in Ballyphehane-Togher cannot therefore avail of a supplementary welfare payment because the post is vacant.

Earlier today I met with Professor Drumm and his team to talk about the reconfiguration of hospital services in the Cork and Kerry region. This is a very ambitious plan which will involve significant changes for the region. However, one would question the HSE's ability to project manage such a big project, given that it is unable to manage substitute cover for a community welfare officer in the Ballyphehane and Togher area. How, in the name of God will the HSE be able to reconfigure a whole hospital service for an area one quarter the size of Ireland?

The existing system is questionable in itself. It takes nine weeks for a person to receive a social welfare payment yet the community welfare officer can effect a payment within one week. This beggars belief because it must be the same system.

I am concerned that people who cannot get a supplementary welfare payment while waiting for a social welfare payment to come through, have no other option but to borrow that money. The banks will not lend them this money, they may be a member of a credit union and may receive bridging finance but this situation is driving people into the hands of moneylenders because the State is not fulfilling a function. I hope in his response that the Minister of State will provide a solution whereby a community welfare officer will be in place tomorrow morning or if he fails to achieve that goal, that some priority is given to social welfare applications in this area, given that people cannot be provided with a supplementary welfare allowance in that time.

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am replying on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for giving me this opportunity to outline what provision is being made in the Ballyphehane-Togher area of Cork. I would also like to take this opportunity to speak about the community welfare service in general.

With regard to the sudden absence of a community welfare officer in the Ballyphehane-Togher area of Cork, I am informed by the HSE that this relates to the fact that there was no clinic held in that area on Monday last, 4 May 2009. As the Deputy highlighted, this absence could not have been anticipated as the member of staff responsible for this area was suddenly taken ill. The situation was compounded by the fact that a large number of possible replacement staff were also unavailable. Obviously this was an unfortunate set of circumstances but not one that could have been foreseen. As a result, I am informed it was decided by local management that it would not be possible to hold the clinic on that day. While this unfortunately has caused inconvenience to clients who were hoping to meet with the community welfare officer, the cancellation of the clinic was unavoidable in the circumstances.

In order to address the pressures on the community welfare service in Cork, a process is under way with the staff and their trade unions to implement a revised arrangement to meet the current service need. This process has been undertaken in a partnership process and will be finalised over the coming week to ten days.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Just for the record, this problem did not begin on Monday; it has been going on for a number of weeks. I welcome the fact there will be a response this evening but this problem did not begin on Monday. The person went out on maternity leave, she did not become ill.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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The Deputy must allow the Minister of State to continue his reply.

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The purpose of the process is to ensure a resolution is found and I am trying to deliver on that. In the meantime, in relation to the Ballyphehane-Togher area, arrangements have been made for the assignment of a dedicated member of the relief panel of community welfare officers to take up this position immediately. The matter will be kept under ongoing review.

The Government decided in March 2006 to transfer the administration of the supplementary welfare allowance, SWA, scheme to the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The community welfare service is funded by the Department of Social and Family Affairs but the delivery of the day-to-day service is the responsibility of the HSE. I do not believe this is the best, most efficient way of delivering this service. The division of responsibility between the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the HSE is also making it more difficult to address the pressures on both the community welfare service and the Department of Social and Family Affairs in a unified, comprehensive manner.

Reform of the public service remains a priority for the Government. Citizens need and demand integrated services across public service. Public service reform also means resources must be deployed to the best effect and this requires a flexible and open attitude of staff to change and doing things differently. The transfer of the SWA is a good example of the kind of reforms which are needed. The decision to transfer the SWA was taken over three years ago. There have been lengthy discussions with the unions since then to bring it about.

Virtually all the preparatory work that can usefully be done has been completed. The Government remains firmly committed to this transfer of functions and has recently reiterated its support for accomplishing the transfer. The delays to date do not reflect well on the public service and I hope this matter can now be progressed quickly, preferably through negotiation between all the parties involved.