John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. Speaking from the experience in County Sligo where an Intreo office has been opened, the demographics of the county are huge. We have a one-stop shop facility where the staff are very focused on the unemployed and it is a complete transformation. An unemployed person can walk in and get matched up with employers. I will certainly ask the Minister to roll-out the Intreo office as quickly as possible to Waterford because it is an enhanced service where people find the facilities. We have outreach offices all over the region but we have an enhanced centralised service in Sligo. Although it is a pilot scheme, it is extraordinarily successful. The way to solve the problem is through the roll-out of an Intreo office, with which the Senator would be impressed, which would more than compensate for the duplication of offices in rural areas. It means that if people have an idea or concept or want a job opportunity, they can go to the one-stop shop which is based on state-of-the-art technology. That would be less imminent in Waterford.