Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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6. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will detail the usage of the mobile unit to visit the homes of those who cannot attend the Intreo office, by county from 2016 to 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; the action she has taken to make persons aware of the mobile unit and home service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5945/23]

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister detail the usage of the mobile unit to visit the homes of those who cannot attend the Intreo office? I was looking for the information by county from 2016 to date. I do not necessarily need the Minister to read it out. I can get it in writing. I am more interested in the action the Minister is taking to make people aware of the mobile unit and the home visit service.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department has a network of more than 120 Intreo centres and social welfare branch offices throughout the country which are open to customers five days per week during business hours. My Department does not currently have a specific mobile unit available in which to meet with customers, and the requirement for such has not been currently identified.

We do, from time to time, make arrangements to visit a person who may be incapacitated at his or her place of residence, for example, to process an application for a public service card or to assist a person complete an application. Given the relatively low numbers involved, no statistics are maintained on this activity. In addition, community welfare officers, CWO, can facilitate an appointment within a short time of a person requiring such a meeting, at a mutually agreed location, including at the person's home.

Separately the development of our online service portal mywelfare.iemeans a growing number of customers can access the Department's services without having to post a paper form or call into their local Intreo centre. This is the quickest and easiest way for a person to apply for most income supports and payment statements. Last year in excess of 2.7 million transactions were completed through this portal, bringing the total number of transactions to date to more than 10 million. It may interest Deputies to know that usage of the portal by people over 65 years was as high as that by people aged 18 to 24 years.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I raise this because, prior to Christmas, I was contacted by a man whose wife was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2016. She is unable to leave the house and is barely able to speak. She had her disability payment being paid directly into her Ulster Bank account, but as Ulster Bank is closing, she was transferring it to the post office so that her husband could pick it up for her. However, to do that, she needed a public services card. She was told to call in to the Intreo office but she was unable to do so. It took weeks to sort this out and to establish finally that there was a mobile unit, or at least that is how it was described when the email came back from Sligo to say there is a mobile unit assigned to each area. The personnel in Cavan did not seem to be aware of this. Someone eventually called out to her, but in the meantime they were unable to pick up three of her disability payments over the whole Christmas period. Luckily, they had put some money aside and were able to manage, but they would not have been able to manage for much longer. It just caused a lot of upset. They felt the way they were dealt with was insensitive. I know people receive disability payments for all sorts of reasons and most disabled people are more than independent and able to go into the Intreo office, but there are some who may have mobility issues and are not able to. I raise this so that even the staff would be aware of the service and be able to inform people, because they were not aware this time.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I asked my officials who told me that, if someone needs a public services card, PSC, staff from the Department of Social Protection will go out. They have a camera so that they can take the photographs. That can be arranged. I am sorry the lady was disturbed over Christmas. I am happy to check out that particular case for the Deputy. I can only say that it is not nice if you do not have money over Christmas. As I understand, the Department can facilitate an in-person appointment within a short time for a person requiring such a meeting. We know the community welfare offices in our own areas. They are exceptionally good and exceptionally caring in the work they do. I know they go beyond the call of duty on many occasions. In the case mentioned by the Deputy, I cannot say why she did not get the PSC as soon as she could but we will check it out. However, on the broader point, there are many ways by which people can make their applications.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Most people do not need the home service. Maybe if it was made available, too many people would access it. Is it possible to get a PSC through the portal or does a person have to present to the Intreo office or somebody call to his or her home?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The office in Sligo said that it did not need the public services card but the post office said it did and would not give the payment to the woman's husband without her having a PSC. The Intreo office did give him a temporary card and, eventually, when he was able to get access to staff, someone visited her home afterwards, but it caused a lot of trouble. She also got a letter to say she was allocated a free travel pass and needed to present at the Intreo office to access that. Everyone's disability is different. In this case the people just felt it was a little insensitive.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I will get the specific details. I will get someone from my office to contact the Deputy to trawl through that so that it does not happen again. It is not our intention. It is possible to ring up and get an appointment with a community welfare officer who will visit the house if a person is incapacitated and cannot travel. I can give that commitment because it does happen.

On the broader issue, there are many ways by which people can make their applications. They can call into the social welfare or Intreo office, they can pick up the phone and ring us, they can apply online or, where they need it, they can even arrange for a member of staff to meet them in their own home. That, for some reason, did not happen. I will check it out because it is our intention that if a PSC is needed and a person cannot go into the office to have the photograph and everything taken, we will arrange for someone to go out with a camera to take the photographs and to help him or her fill up the form.