Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will make a statement on a matter (details supplied). [3644/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department provides a front line service through a network of 60 local offices and 65 branch offices. Local offices are staffed by departmental staff and branch offices are run by private individuals who are employed under contract for service by the Department. Social welfare services in County Laois are provided by three Branch Offices which are located in the towns of Portlaoise, Portarlington and Rathdowney. There is also an inspectorate based in Portlaoise.

At the end of December 2008 the Live Register in County Laois stood at 5,378 with approximately 500 of those from the Mountmellick area. The Mountmellick area is served by the Portarlington Office, which is seven miles away. While applicants for jobseeker payments are required to attend at the Portarlington office to make their initial claim, thereafter they are only required to attend the office on a monthly basis to sign-on and they receive payments at their local Post Office.

The Department will continue to provide services at local level in an efficient and cost effective way. However, opening an office in a town the size of Mountmellick could not be justified and consequently there are no plans to open an office there.