Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 117: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of information officers employed in his Department; the location of each officer; the grade of each officer; the responsibilities which they have; the role which they play in disseminating information to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10933/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The provision of comprehensive information in a clear and simple manner is an essential element in the effective delivery of social welfare services. The underlying objective of my Department's information policy is to ensure that all citizens are made aware of their entitlements and other supports and are kept informed of changes and improvements to schemes as they occur.

Information on the full range of social welfare schemes and services is provided through my Department's network of some 125 local offices throughout the country. These offices comprise 58 social welfare local offices of my Department and 67 branch offices, which are under contract to provide a range of services to customers. Each of the 58 local offices of my Department has a dedicated information officer.

The responsibilities of the information officer include providing advice and assistance to personal callers to the office and dealing with telephone inquiries and with general correspondence from social welfare customers. Information officers, from time to time, give information presentations to local community groups relevant to their needs. They participate in exhibitions and contribute to other events, including local radio programmes promoting information about social welfare rights and entitlements. Information officers who are involved in information provision are supported by the central information service unit, which is responsible for information policy and for the production and dissemination of information.

My Department produces a comprehensive range of information leaflets and booklets covering each social welfare payment. These are widely available from social welfare local offices, post offices, citizens information centres, from my Department's lo-call leaflet line at 1890 20 23 25 and from the website www.welfare.ie. Citizens are made aware of new schemes and improvements in my Department's services through advertising, using an appropriate mix of national and provincial media. Selective use is made of freephone information campaigns at particular times of the year such as budget time and to target particular groups of people to ensure that they are claiming their full entitlements.

Information officers in my Department's network of local offices throughout the country, play a key role in the dissemination of information to the public. They provide one of the most effective means of reaching out to people at local level in the drive to ensure that citizens are aware of and claim their social welfare entitlements. A list of the offices where information offices are located follows.

Social welfare local offices at which information services are available: Carlow — Kennedy Avenue; Cavan — Dublin Road; Clare — Ennis, Kilrush Road; Cork — Hanover Street; Bantry — Main Street; Cobh — Harbour Row; Mallow — 72 Main Street; Buncrana — Castle Avenue; Donegal town — Bridge Street; Dunfanaghy — Main Street; Dungloe — Quay Road; Letterkenny — Kilmacrennan Road; Dublin — North Cumberland Street; Coolock — Northside Civic Centre, Dublin 5; Apollo House, Tara Street, Dublin 2; 126 Thomas Street, Dublin 8; Bishops Square, Dublin 2; Rossmore Avenue, Ballyfermot; Ballymun — Ballymun Shopping Centre; Clondalkin — 9th Lock Road, Dublin 22; Dún Laoghaire — Cumberland Street; Finglas — Mellowes Road; Kilbarrack — Greendale Shopping Centre, Navan Road; Rathfarnham — Nutgrove Shopping Centre; Tallaght — The Square; Blanchardstown — Westend House, Snugboro Road Ext, Dublin 15; Galway — St. Augustine Street, Clifden — Galway Road; Cahirciveen — St. Brendan's Tce.; Listowel — The Square; Tralee — Godfrey Place; Newbridge — Eyre Street; Kilkenny — Government Offices, Hebron Road; Carrick-on-Shannon — Leitrim Road; Manorhamilton — Sligo Road; Limerick — Dominick Street; Newcastle West — Gortboy; Longford — Ballinalee Road; Drogheda — Custom House Quay; Dundalk — Government Buildings, St. Alphonsus Road; Navan — Trimgate Street; Achill — Achill Sound; Ballina — Bohernasup; Belmullet — America Street; Castlebar — New Antrim Street; Westport — Prospect Avenue; Tullamore — Government Buildings, Clonminch Road; Sligo — Cranmore Road, Public Office, College Road; Clonmel — New Quay; Thurles — Stradavoher; Waterford — Cork Road; Athlone — Barrack Street; Mullingar — Blackhall Street; Wexford — Anne Street; Arklow — Government Buildings, Castle Park; Bray — The Esplanade.