Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason recipients of payments from her Department still receive payments on a manual basis; her views on phasing out such payments in favour of an electronic system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12663/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department supports the Government's policy of aiming to facilitate the greater use of electronic payment systems in the economy in the interests of developing a world-class payments environment in Ireland. Our payment strategy is designed to ensure that cost-effective arrangements are in place for making payments to social welfare customers by using a range of payment options and to ensure that new payment facilities are made available to customers as they arise. The Department is implementing a three-year strategy to change paper-based payment instruments to electronic payments at post offices, banks and other financial institutions, including certain credit unions that have financial regulatory approval. Some 84% of customers receive their payment electronically direct to their post office or financial institution. The remaining personalised payable order books will be changed to electronic payment by the end of September 2009. Plans are under way to change cheque payments to electronic payment at a post office or a financial institution over the next 12 months. Of the 1 million payments issued each week, a small number is made by manual cheque. A facility to make such payments by an electronic system is being investigated.