Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 373: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the official forms issued by his Department for use by the public and business which can be completed on-line; the forms which cannot; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32043/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Information in relation to all the Department's schemes and services is available from the Department's website www.welfare.ie, and application forms, in respect of all schemes, can be downloaded from this site. The facility to complete scheme application forms on-line does not currently exist on the website. Customers can however use an on-line form to notify the Department that they are unemployed and wish to make a claim for Jobseekers Benefit. The customer is subsequently contacted by the Department and arrangements are made for them to make a claim at their Local Office. Each month some 450 customers use this on-line facility. The Department's website is currently being redeveloped and the new website will be deployed mid 2008. This new website will also facilitate the introduction of new on-line services including the development of on-line applications for welfare benefits.