Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will make a statement on the work and progress of the interdepartmental implementation working group which was set up to implement the transfer of community welfare services to his Department. [31808/06]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when the transfer of income support and maintenance schemes for people with disabilities from the Health Service Executive to his Department as outlined in his Department's sectoral plan will take place; the costs that this transfer will entail; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31855/06]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 157: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when the intended transfer of the community welfare officers from the Health Service Executive to his Department is due to take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31854/06]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 173: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the concerns of community welfare officers here at the impending transfer of community welfare services from the Health Service Executive to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31814/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 130, 133, 157 and 173 together.

The decision to transfer certain functions from the Health Service Executive (HSE) to my Department follows on from recommendations made by the Commission on Financial Management and Control Systems in the Health Service. In its report, the Commission noted that over the years, the health system had been assigned responsibility for a number of activities that are non-core in the context of a health service. In view of the range of challenges facing the health sector, it recommended that the Government consider assigning such non-core activities to other bodies.

The Government considered this issue earlier this year and has decided to transfer certain functions. The functions to be transferred include the General Register Office and various payments, including supplementary welfare allowances and payments made to or in respect of persons with a disability, namely domiciliary care allowance, mobility allowance, infectious diseases maintenance allowance and blind welfare allowance. The mechanics of transferring dental, optical and other treatment benefits from my Department to the health sector are also being examined.

As part of the National Disability Strategy, my Department has produced a Disability Sectoral plan which was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 21 July 2006. The objective of my Department's plan is to ensure that, as far as is practicable, the schemes and services provided to people with disabilities operate in a manner which facilitates their full participation in society and meet the mainstreaming principle of the equality agenda.

In this regard, the Sectoral Plan takes account of the Government decision to transfer certain non-core activities from the Health Service Executive (HSE) to my Department.

An interdepartmental implementation group comprising officials from my Department, the Department of Finance and the Health Service Executive, and chaired by the Department of Health and Children, has been established and has begun to address the implementation of this element of the transfer of functions programme. The timing of any transfer, the enabling legislation that may be required as well as any associated costs will be identified as part of the group's deliberations.

A separate interdepartmental implementation group comprising officials from my Department, the Department of Finance, the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive and chaired by my Department has been established to progress the transfer of other aspects of the community welfare service. The group's work to date work centred mainly on providing the necessary foundation for a detailed and comprehensive programme to oversee the successful transfer of the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme.

This includes identifying all of the functions at present carried out by Community Welfare Officers and Superintendent Community Welfare Officers within the community welfare service for the purpose of establishing how these will fit within the transfer of function process. The timing of the transfer and of the enabling legislation required will also form part of the part of this group's deliberations. Naturally, implementation of this programme will involve organisational, human resource and service delivery issues and the working group will undertake extensive consultation with all relevant stakeholders throughout the change process.

I recognise that a change of this magnitude can create concern for those currently carrying out the service. I would like to take this opportunity to allay any concerns that community welfare officers may have in this regard. Any issues that staff may have with regard to their terms and conditions of service will be addressed through the normal industrial relations machinery.

The Community Welfare Service plays a vital role within the overall social welfare system. The existing mechanisms of delivery allow the service to be responsive, flexible and outcome focused. These are attributes for which there will be a continuing need into the future.

I do not expect that costs will arise specifically in relation to the transfer of Departmental responsibility. The services in question will continue to be delivered as here to fore from the locations at which they are currently available. Costs, or indeed administrative savings, may arise in the future as these services are modernised and improved but any such costs or savings would accrue because of modernisation and service development rather than because of the transfer per se.

Throughout the change programme, I will be giving a high priority to supporting the continued delivery of the high standard of service currently provided by the staff concerned. Overall, I am confident that the transfer of services as envisaged will be embraced successfully and will ultimately further enhance the delivery of services to our customers, in particularly those most disadvantaged in society.