Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 247: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will confirm that it is intended to replace the community welfare officer with the Department of Social and Family Affairs officer; her views on whether this is a retrograde move; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15120/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The community welfare service of the Health Service Executive administers the supplementary welfare scheme on behalf of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The Deputy's question relates to a recent decision to transfer this scheme, together with associated resources, to the Department of Social and Family Affairs. This decision means that the staff concerned will transfer from the Health Service Executive to the Department of Social and Family Affairs. It is not intended to replace the community welfare officer with officers of the Department of Social and Family Affairs but rather that community welfare officers will become part and parcel of the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

The background to this decision is that the commission on financial management and control systems in the health service noted in the Brennan report that the health system had been assigned responsibility for a number of non-core health activities. It recommended that the Government consider assigning non-core activities currently undertaken by agencies within the health service to other bodies.

The Government subsequently decided to ask an interdepartmental group to examine this issue. The report of the interdepartmental group, entitled The Core Functions of the Health Service, was submitted to, and accepted by, the Government recently. The report recommends that income support and maintenance schemes administered by the HSE, together with associated resources, should be transferred to the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

This particular initiative has been mooted several times in the past, by the Report of the Commission on Social Welfare in 1986 and by the Review of Supplementary Welfare Allowances by the Combat Poverty Agency in 1991. I welcome the Government's decision as it provides an opportunity to streamline the activities of the HSE, while bringing about positive change for social welfare customers.

An interdepartmental working group is being established to progress implementation of the transfer. Administrative and industrial relations issues must be resolved as part of the implementation of the Government's decision and the HSE has already been in touch with the health service unions in this regard.

I am confident, as is my colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, that this transfer process can be carried out without any negative effect on the standard of service currently provided by community welfare officers or in the important role that they play in addressing issues of disadvantage in the community.