Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 625: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs: 1. The telephone can often ring out unanswered. One of the reasons given is that they have a meeting one morning every week and during this time the telephones go unanswered or the office was not open or was closed. There should be some cover provided at this time. 2. If a voice-mail could be left on the telephone detailing hours of business this would greatly improve matters. 3. There is a form available for complaints but it requests personal information which acts as a disincentive to making a complaint. [14546/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The normal opening hours in Finglas Local Office are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. but the office is closed to the public from 9.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. every Thursday morning for staff training, meetings and briefing sessions. Signs to this effect are on prominent display in the Local Office. These weekly meetings are essential to ensure staff receive regular training and are fully briefed so as to provide a quality service to customers.

83% of the 2,912 phone calls received in Finglas Local Office between 5/3/07 and 1/4/07 were answered. 17% of these calls hung up before their call was taken and it is likely that some of the unanswered phone calls occur during the time the office is closed. My Department is currently examining the use of voice-mail and other options for the network of offices throughout the country as a way to enhance customer service.

The Comments and Complaints form requests the customer's name, address, PPS Number, details of the issue, as well as the name of the office. The form also requests the customer's phone number if the customer would be happy for the Department to contact him/her by phone. This information speeds up the handling of the issue raised. There is no obligation on anyone to provide personal information when completing a Comments or Complaints form, though the experience generally is that completion of such a form requires follow up action by the Department and it is useful in this connection if the person can be contacted directly.