Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the location of the local social welfare offices which will be dealing directly with one-parent family claims by the end of 2005 in line with his Department's policy of localising services for lone parents by moving its services from a centralised office in Sligo to local offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11909/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The one-parent family payment is the income support scheme for separated, unmarried and widowed persons and also for prisoners spouses who are bringing up a child or children without the support of a partner. It was introduced in 1997 when it replaced a number of schemes for different categories of lone parent. At the end of March 2004, there were 80,087 persons receiving one-parent family payment. On average, some 330 new claims for one-parent family payment are received each week, equivalent to about 17,000 per year.

As recipients of the one-parent family payment are, in general, in a relatively young age bracket, they are more likely to move in and out of employment, education or training on a regular basis or to have other changes in their circumstances. Each year 70,000 existing claims have their rates of payment revised downward or upward mainly for these reasons. All administrative work relating to the one-parent family payment was carried out in a central office in the pension services office in Sligo.

In 2000 my Department undertook a review of the payment arrangements for lone parents. This review recommended the localisation of the administration of the scheme to bring lone parents into closer contact with the various support services available in local offices. Localisation is intended primarily to improve client service, by reducing claim processing times through closer linkage with the local investigative officer network, as well as providing more direct local contact for lone parents with the Department's employment support services.

One-parent family payment claim processing commenced on a trial basis in my Department's local office in Tallaght in 2001. Following the success of this initial project, local offices in Finglas and Waterford began one-parent family payment claim processing at the end of 2003. During 2004 and early 2005, a major training programme was undertaken to extend claim processing to a further 22 offices.

At the end of March 2005, there were a total of 25 social welfare local offices and a further 26 associated branch offices dealing with one-parent family payment claim processing. This means that approximately 60% of all new one-parent family claims received each year, approximately 10,000 claims, will be dealt with in local offices. Processing will be extended to a further 16 local offices on a phased basis during the rest of 2005.

The list of offices processing one parent family payment at early 2005 and those who will be involved during the rest of 2005 has been forwarded to the Deputy. Successful extension of claim processing to these offices will be subject to accommodation and other issues being resolved during the course of the year. By the end of 2005, approximately 90% all new one-parent family claims received each year, approximately 15,000 claims, will be dealt with in local offices.