Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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83. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the key performance indicators and measures of evaluations that are in place to underpin the performance of the customer charter and action plan for 2013 to 2015; if she will provide an assessment of the way the charter and action plan is performing in regard to each criterion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39802/14]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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There are two elements to this question, one relating to the targets set by the Minister for the services that will be delivered, and the second relating to who delivers the service in regard to customer training. In respect of the first element, I refer to the length of time it takes to process particular applications. For example, it takes up to one year to process appeals, three months to evaluate medical evidence and six months to one year to adjudicate in respect of illness schemes. Essentially, I am seeking a benchmark in order that we measure that.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The overall aim of the Department of Social Protection is to provide people with the information, financial support and other services they require in a timely and customer-friendly way. The Department demonstrates its ongoing commitment to a strong customer service ethos through the customer charter and action plan. The plan sets out a range of mechanisms to deliver a high quality of service to people who use the services of the Department.

The Department rolled out 44 new and revamped Intreo offices during the past three years. The feedback through customer surveys has been one of very strong approval. Given that the Department pays approximately 1.45 million people every week and has almost 89 million payments per year, the number of complaints in 2013 was slightly more than 1,200 and the corresponding figure for this year to date is 867. All these complaints are very important and we follow them up.

In addition, the Department spends €46 million each year to enable the Citizens Information Board, including the Money Advice & Budgeting Service, MABS, to provide independent information, advocacy and advice to people who have business with the Department and who may need independent advice and assistance.

The Deputy referred to the timespan for processing payments, a matter which we have discussed on a number of occasions. Two years ago, we revamped over a period all the IT related to many of the payments she referenced. As she will know, almost all the backlogs have been cleared and the last significant area to be updated in terms of IT is disability.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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With regard to the customer-friendly approach, I acknowledge there are very many people who go far beyond the call of duty but I certainly come across serious problems. Serious misinformation is given to people quite routinely. For example, people are told not to sign on for credits as there is no point although not doing so could have a very serious implication for them, including in respect of pension entitlements. The mid-Leinster rents unit employs one person on the telephone although there is a population in excess of 600,000. Thankfully, not all of them are looking for housing but there is a sizeable number of people in the area who will be trying to get through to the service. People come to my constituency office in frustration over their not having been able to get through. It is not the fault of staff members if there is an inadequate number of staff allocated to deal with people. There are difficulties that are not being complained about. If somebody is given incorrect information, he is unlikely to make a complaint about it although it may have an impact on him.

With regard to the timelines, I am certainly happy to provide to the Minister the names of and information on the individuals in question. The timelines to which the Minister refers are not comparable with those I am experiencing.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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We have had many debates in this House on allowances, including the carer's allowance, family income supplement and domiciliary care allowance. Deputies O’Dea and Ó Snodaigh, in particular, have raised these, and Deputy Catherine Murphy herself had questions on the domiciliary care allowance. The whole allowance system has been transformed dramatically. In fairness to the staff of the Department, they have worked very hard to change the whole experience of people. I am not saying some people do not experience problems.

I am always advising people, particularly women who are for some reason out of the labour force, to sign for credits, if appropriate, because, as the Deputy says, it is very important in maintaining entitlements. I would be very surprised if any social welfare staff actually suggested to somebody that signing the credits was not relevant. One would think that the importance of signing for credits would be one of the first things people would know about the social welfare system.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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I can state absolutely to the Minister that it happens, and it will pose a serious problem in the future. It happens too often. As the Minister knows, Members of the Oireachtas are all given software, a constituency database. I use it for every case so we can track and identify peaks concerning difficulties. The difficulty I mentioned arises routinely. If the Minister does only one thing consequent to this discussion, she should organise a refresher course for staff so people who come in to sign for credits can be facilitated.

There is a serious problem in the mid-Leinster rents unit. The telephone service is inadequate and people cannot get through. If there is only one member of staff on the telephone and a population in excess of 600,000, a problem arises routinely. It may not reach the Minister in the form of a complaint but I can confirm that people are complaining to me that they cannot get through. I ask her to examine this because it relates to a serious shortfall.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Since the economic collapse from 2007 and 2008 onwards, there was a vast increase in the number of people seeking to be assisted by the Department of Social Protection. As the Deputy knows, the number claiming in a very wide range of areas increased enormously, most notably among those who lost their jobs. Consequently, the pressure on the system increased enormously. As the Deputy is aware, 1,000 community welfare officers who formerly worked in the HSE came into my Department in 2012, as did the people who worked in the FÁS employment services, who numbered approximately 700.

The Department has undergone this major transformation. I visit local social welfare offices, probably at the rate of two offices a month. There is still a number of offices which have to be transformed. We must also start upgrading a number of the branch offices. Any objective observer of the Department would accept, given the sheer volume of cases with which we deal, some of which arise from the difficulties of the recession, that the numbers of the unemployed are going down.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I must go on to the next question.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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We have revamped the service. I will take any details the Deputy has and ensure that they are examined.