Cyprian Brady (Fianna Fail)

I second the motion. This motion put so eloquently by Senator Cox recognises the advances and improvements implemented by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. There have been dramatic and far reaching changes over recent years.

As a former employee of the Department I have seen the effects its services on the day to day lives of people. I have seen at the coal face the efficient delivery of the amazing range of services for which the Department has responsibility. It deals with support schemes for areas such as adult literacy, schemes for younger and older people, pensioners, widows and widowers, the unemployed, people with disabilities, children and carers. I have seen the direct effect of these services on the lives of people across the board through direct income for daily living, support for both dual and single parent families, advice on money management and through support for men's and women's and senior citizens groups.

The Department has been progressive in the provision of services to its clients. In the early 1980s the Department was one of the first to grasp the nettle of computerisation. The staff and management made a huge effort to improve and streamline the service it provided. The result was the modernisation of the payment delivery system. Another indication of the Department's progressiveness is decentralisation of services to local offices around the country. This started in Dublin and Cork with the provision of local offices but has been further extended to regions such as Limerick, Longford, Louth, Leitrim and Galway. The decentralisation of the head office to Sligo was a huge success and provided a great impetus to that area.

Every day in my own constituency I come across some group or organisation which has benefited from some input from the Department. Last Monday I met a group from O'Deveney Gardens where a group of parents got together to set up a child care facility. There has been huge input from the Department in conjunction with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform through the Garda and from the local authority. Today there is a thriving community facility which caters for the children of a socially deprived area and it is just one example of how the Department has built itself into a community resource over the years.

I do not doubt this Minister will continue the work done over the years by her predecessors and in the true tradition of previous Fianna Fáil Governments will further enhance the vast improvement in services and provisions for those dependent on social welfare, advancing the superb work that has been achieved in the area of social inclusion and support for the community.