Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 175: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on whether the social welfare office in Lucan, County Dublin is large enough and has adequate resources to deal with the growing number of people signing on for jobseekers allowance and benefit in the locality. [36651/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There is no Social Welfare Local Office in Lucan. The Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for the acquisition and maintenance of office accommodation for the Department. The Department together with the OPW and South Dublin County Council is exploring the possibility of having a Local Office in Adamstown as part of the planned new Civic Centre.

Jobseeker claims for people living in the Lucan area are administered by the Social Welfare Local Office in Clondalkin. Signing-on for the majority of jobseekers occurs once in any 4-week period. However, to avoid the necessity for people in Lucan to travel to Clondalkin, they sign-on at a Signing Centre in Lucan village.

Heretofore the signing Centre in Lucan was open on 2 days a month from 9.30 a.m. to 12 noon and from 2.00 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. However with the increasing numbers claiming a jobseeker's payments, this has been increased to 3 days a month. Local management in Clondalkin is keeping the matter under review.