Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Ó Clochartaigh for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton.

The staffing needs for all areas within the Department of Social Protection are continuously reviewed to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources with a view to providing an efficient service to those who rely on the schemes operated by that Department. This includes meeting commitments under the Pathways to Work programme to provide opportunities, support and assistance to the approximately 420,000 people on the live register by intensifying the Department's level of engagement with people who are unemployed and, in particular, those who are, or become, long-term unemployed.

In the coming months, up to 20 staff drawn primarily from the Department's community welfare services, social welfare inspectors and community services will take up new roles as activation case officers in County Galway. These changes, which are largely predicated on the rationalisation of the community welfare service clinics, will increase activation case officer numbers in the county from 13 to 33 staff. It was in this context that a decision was made to relocate community welfare services from Connemara to Galway city and Clifden. Staff based in An Spideal and An Ceathru Rua will relocate to Galway city while services based in Cill Chiaran will relocate to Clifden. The relocation will take effect from 30 September 2013. The Minister is very conscious of the need to provide efficient and effective customer-facing services at a local level for customers of the Department. Customers in these areas will be encouraged to contact the service by phone, e-mail or post in the first instance and, in most cases, their queries will be answered without them having to attend a public clinic in Galway city or Clifden.

As part of the relocation of community welfare services to Galway city and Clifden, the frequency of available public clinics is being increased to five days per week in the case of Galway and to three days per week in the case of Clifden. The number of staff available to these clinics will be increased, giving customers improved access to services there. If a customer is unable to travel to Galway city or Clifden, for example due to illness, an officer will arrange a visit to the customer's home if necessary. The community welfare service on the Aran Islands is currently provided by an officer from the Department who is based in Galway city and who travels to the islands as required. It is likely that this will continue to be the case in the future. Customers on the Aran Islands can also contact the community welfare service in Galway by phone, e-mail or post if required.

The Department of Social Protection is conscious of its obligations under the Official Languages Act and is committed to providing a service through Irish to customers. There are currently a number of staff in the offices covering the Connemara Gaeltacht who provide a service through Irish and this will continue to be the case. The relocation of services coincides with greater integration between the community welfare service and other locally-based staff of the Department. This process will be further enhanced by the roll-out of a full Intreo service to Clifden later this year and to Galway city next year.